Chopper's Star Adventure
by Mechanical Oven
Summary: After centuries, Maquano's plan has finally come to play thanks the power of the Silver Stars. Things get worse when he uses this new power to involve other villains from different universes. Chopper is unfortunate to get involved too, and now he goes out to find the twenty Silver Stars throughout the multiverse and restore their power. Only this time, he's not alone.
1. Maquano's Return to Power

**Hoo boy... You have no idea how long I've waited to write this story. I had the concept made around 2008, and I've been wanting to write this since I first joined the site! But, I had other things I needed to take care of first, and it took a lot longer than I thought. Because of that, lots of other ideas were added into this.**

 **Just a fair warning... Even though this is a crossover, it does contain some "original" content and characters. So, if that's not your thing... Well, this might not be for you. But feel free to read on anyway.**

 **I also suggest that you check out "Chopper of Clara", before reading this too, as that story will mention some moments that might spoil the story for you. That, and it gives you an idea who the protagonist is. I might recommend looking at "A Thousand Years Ago" as well at some point...**

 **Since this is a crossover between characters that are a part of the Smash Bros. franchise, I thought it'd be appropriate to put it in this category. As for what this is a crossover between... Well, you'll find out in this and the next chapter! :D**

 **So get ready, folks... 'Cause this is gonna be a long story.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Maquano's Return to Power

"Silvania... I've waited so long to reach this place. Let's not waste any time, my Tartaras. The Silver Star Sanctuary should not be too far…"

Maquano was the definition of evil. His appearance, his power, almost everything about the Demon Knight screamed evil. He was always seen wearing a black helmet with three gray spikes protruding from the top. A gray stripe was on the sides of his helmet, and there was one in the shape of a curved T on the front near his glowing red eyes. The Demon Knight was wearing red and black armor, black gauntlets with a red stripe going vertically down, and red shoulder pads with black spikes protruding from the bottom. Around his waist was a red belt. His armor legging was dark gray at the top, while the rest was black with a red diamond-shaped portion above his knees, and his boots were black with a red stripe like his gauntlets. Finally, this demon was garbed in a black cape, which flowed back from the wind.

"We're at your command, Lord Maquano! We will follow any orders that you give us!" the Tartara saluted. The majority, if not all of these lizard-like creatures were covered in red and black scales. Most of them were in red and black armor and carried red and black laser rifles. Their fiery orange eyes were enough to make anyone tremble in fear. Some of the soldiers even had black dragon-like wings too.

Maquano, meanwhile, had taken a look at the environment around him as he walked across the giant field. This world, known as Silvania, was not only massive, but also pretty to look at. The landscape itself was very vast composed of mostly green grass and a nighttime sky filled with stars of many sizes and colors.

"Lord Maquano... We spotted a town down the hill!" a Tartara Soldier informed, pointing to a town down a hill to their right. "Permission to destroy it?"

"As much as I'd like to cause chaos here... That's not why we've come here." Maquano stated, much to the Tartaras' disappointment. "Our main goal is to find the Silver Star Sanctuary, and our time is limited."

"Yes, indeed," a small, old Tartara agreed, flying back Maquano's side on a black broomstick with the front having two spikes and the back having five. The back was also round and sported something resembling a fiery eye. As for the old monster himself, he was completely red unlike regular Tartaras, and he had purple eyes and a monocle on the left. Along with that, he had short, gray hair on the back of his head, along with a large mustache and beard. Another detail to him was the black wizard's hat with a round, dark gray brim, along with a black robe with a dark gray trim on the sleeves. Finally, in his right hand was a small, black wand with four spiky protrusions coming out, and resting on the top of the wand was a red orb with darkness inside. "I'm finally here, and it wouldn't hurt to go attack that town."

"When the time comes, we'll have a chance at destroying that town. All that matters now is that I capture the Silver Stars and claim the power greater than anything I've known!"

"Ultimate power? That's your goal ever since you came back?" Camikon grimaced. "Sonny, that has got to be the most unoriginal motive I've ever heard!"

"Oh, really? What makes you think that?" the Demon Knight questioned.

"Well back in the old days..." This caused Maquano to groan. Old man talk. Always the best thing. "We always had more diverse motives to be bad, such as mugging people walking on the streets! And let's not forget about stealing the large bucket!"

"Camikon, I created you..."

"I wanna see you be like me when I was young, tall, and handsome!"

Maquano smacked his forehead, knowing he wouldn't stop rambling and turned to his Tartaras. "Let us move on!"

"As you command, Lord Maquano," the Tartaras obeyed him and followed the Demon Knight ahead.

"So, Lord Maquano..." Camikon began, flying by Maquano's side. "How is the new blaster created specifically for you?"

"You mean Darkness? I haven't gotten the chance to test it out yet..." Maquano answered, a blaster materializing in his hands. The design itself was nothing special, having a large front in terms of height. As Maquano inspected it, he heard the sound of music. Turning around, he spotted a Tartara Soldier banging its head to a song through earphones. "...But I think I just might get to now."

Maquano aimed his blaster without even looking at his target, and with one shot, a black laser had fired out and shot the Tartara Soldier, wiping it out instantly. The others turned their attention to the soldier that disintegrated into dust and then back at Maquano's smoking blaster.

"I thought I told you guys to not be distracted," Maquano hissed. "If I catch anyone else messing around, there _will_ be more shots fired. Understood?"

All of the Tartaras nodded while trembling, and with that, they followed their leader onward.

"Youngins and their technology..." Camikon muttered. "I would've destroyed that Tartara like a man..."

Meanwhile, at the town, many had heard the march and took a look out their windows or out of the gates.

One person, in particular, had took a peek out of his blue house and spotted Maquano and his army moving away from the town.

"Who are those people?" the figure questioned, and noticing the direction they were going, his eyes widened. "Oh, no..."

A rainbow butterfly fluttered out of the house and went by the figure's side. "What's going on?"

"Those fiends... They're heading for the Silver Star Sanctuary!"

"That's not good... Is there anything we can do...?"

"Go follow them. See if you can find anything about them."

"All right..." the butterfly nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

Wasting no time, the rainbow butterfly flew with all her might to catch up to Maquano and the Tartara army.

* * *

Twenty, sparkling Silver Stars had circled around an altar in a large room with shiny, silver walls sporting stained glass windows in various colors showing several Silver Stars, a white floor with a circular symbol of a Silver Star on the bottom, and a white staircase made up of stardust. On the top of the staircase was the altar, which had two silver torches lit up, but a pedestal in the shape of a star was what the Silver Stars were staring at. In the spacey background was the multiverse.

But as of now... The Silver Stars' attention were drawn to the image of evil Maquano and his army marching their way toward the sanctuary.

"We must make sure that that Demon Knight doesn't break into this room!" cried the first Silver Star. "If he does, then it's all over."

"We kept this room sealed ever since we returned," another replied. "There's no way he'll break through. Our power is much greater than that demon!"

As they continued to debate, the large door at the front had suddenly been sliced in half before falling over. Light began to shine through the doorway, with Maquano stepping inside the sanctuary. In his hand was a black laser sword with a purple glow and a black hilt, which he named Dark Oblivion. Behind him was his army of Tartaras.

"Hello, Silver Stars..." Maquano chuckled darkly. "I finally get to meet you up close!"

"But... Our seal should've kept you from coming in!" one of the Silver Stars cried.

"A seal won't stop Dark Oblivion from cutting it. Just ask the planets I destroyed with it! ...Now, if you want to make things easier, you'll give your power to me."

"You may have broken into our sanctuary...but we'll never give in," another Silver Star declared.

"All right then," the Demon Knight aimed a finger at them. "Tartaras... Open fire!"

All of the Tartaras grinned as they started firing their blasters, but the Silver Stars had fired white energy their way. Several had fallen, but none of that concerned Maquano at the moment, especially now that they were distracted.

He flew up to the altar in a split second while the Tartaras kept them busy and brought his attention to the star-shaped pedestal. Looking down at it, he could see the multiverse before him. Just touching one of the universes had created a hologram that showcased what was located there.

"Now... Let's take a look at the multiverse..."

But before he could get started, one of the Silver Stars had looked back and noticed Maquano by the pedestal. It alerted the others, and eventually they were heading for the Demon Knight.

"Hmph... I was hoping this wouldn't have to happen so soon... But I guess everything can't go your way. Camikon, if you may..."

Before the Silver Stars could get closer, black magic suddenly surrounded them, freezing them in place.

"Don't think you'll be going anywhere!" Camikon sneered, flying over to Maquano. "Lord Maquano! I have them caught! Are you ready?"

"Oh, yes! Of course!" Maquano turned to the Silver Stars and aimed an open hand at them. "I'm sure you won't be needing those powers of yours!"

"No! Don't!" the Silver Stars begged.

A black spell had fired out from Maquano's hands and split into twenty smaller ones. Each one had struck the Silver Stars, and soon enough, their bright, silver bodies were becoming dull as a white light from each of them came out of their bodies and toward the Demon Knight. As they got closer, this light had turned into darkness.

And then he started to absorb their power, causing his entire body to glow dark purple, and a large, black beam fired upward, creating a hole in the sanctuary.

"This power... It feels _incredible_!" Maquano chuckled darkly. "It's more than I anticipated! This is more than enough to take down that annoying Chopper!"

"You don't know the consequences of us losing our power..." one Silver Star said weakly. "It is us that helps keep the multiverse under control, and without this power, chaos will ensue..."

"And that's exactly what I want," the Demon Knight smirked. "Now, what to do with you stars? …Ah, yes! Camikon, dispose of them. Throw them anywhere."

"All right, I'll do that for you!" Camikon nodded before flying over to the Silver Stars. "Nyeah heh heh har! Look at you worthless stars! You're simply no match for our greater power and tactics!"

Raising his wand, black sparks struck the twenty Silver Stars, making them vanish one by one. A couple begged Maquano not to finish his task, but all he did was chuckle as all of them disappeared.

"Ah, yes… Very good, Camikon! Now for the next step!" Maquano whirled over to the pedestal and raised his blade. "These Silver Stars were capable of universal teleportation thanks to this star pedestal. Just think of the things I could do with this type of power! No longer will it take months or years to go to another universe or world!"

Bringing his sword down, sparks began to come out from the bright pedestal, which slowly began to get enveloped in darkness. A dark surge of power had gone into Maquano's body, surrounding him in a black mist for a brief moment. When he pulled his sword out, the mist was gone, and he grinned in satisfaction.

However, he wasn't done just yet. Opening his hand, he fired a surge of dark power into Camikon's wand, making the old wizard's hand shake briefly.

"Lord Maquano! What in the world are you doing!?" Camikon exclaimed. "You could've made me drop my wand!"

"I gave you the power to teleport to any universe as you please," Maquano answered. "You are, after all, needed for my next phase of the plan."

"Ahhh… I remember now!"

"As for you, my Tartaras…" the Demon Knight slowly turned to his Tartaras. "All right, we're done for now. At least, you guys are."

"What will you do, Lord Maquano?" the Tartara Commander asked.

"I've got other things planned. You all can return to your base if you want. …And DON'T. RELEASE. THE DRAGONS!"

"Yes, sir! _…Party!_ " the Tartaras all began to make their exit, eager for what was coming next down in their base.

"All right… Now it's time to test out these new teleportation powers." Maquano declared, letting his sword materialize away and crossing his arms. "I believe it is just like regular teleporting, except you have to mentally say where you want to go. Knowing my plan, of course, I'm going to need this kind of power to go to other universes."

"Other universes? But why is that?" Camikon gawked.

"Because not I am able to accomplish my plan on my own. I'm considering going to five other worlds, and if I'm correct, the villains of those worlds will be good enough."

"Wait... Who are these villains? And how do you know about them?"

"Let's just say I overheard about these places and bad guys while I was dead..." Maquano answered. "Anyway, let's go, Camikon. We don't have all day!"

At that instant, Maquano had teleported out Silvania. Camikon soon followed afterward, leaving the sanctuary completely empty.

"He actually succeeded..." the rainbow butterfly gasped, having just witnessed Maquano's actions. "I never thought this would happen... But who is this Chopper that he mentioned?"

* * *

Out on a grassy hill, a pink spherical creature with stubby arms, oval-shaped black and blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and red feet was resting right by a tree. Several apples were in front of him, and he dropped an entire one in his mouth. Even though he looked small and adorable, there were no limits to Kirby's appetite...

"Poyo! Poyo!" Kirby cheered, taking out a few apples that had fallen from the tree's branches. He stuffed them in his mouth, not noticing a red, spherical creature with a peach face, stubby arms like Kirby's and peach feet called a Waddle Dee running past him with a couple of delicious treats.

"Kirby!"

Opening his eyes, Kirby saw a round hamster with patches of orange on him, a round, purple owl with white wings, a blue fish that resembled a sunfish, a round, pudgy cat with orange spots, a pink octopus-like creature with a red bow, and a small, green bird. There was also a human behind them, donning an artist outfit, such as a red beret, a green smock, and a gray skirt.

"Poyo?" Kirby asked, holding out an apple to them.

"Kirby, where have you been all day?" the hamster named Rick asked.

"Poyo..." Kirby answered, pointing at the tree.

"Have you noticed anyone walk by with food?" Kine, the blue fish asked.

Kirby slowly shook his head, but Coo the owl pointed his left wing over to a dirt path where several Waddle Dees were carrying food.

"Poyo? Poyo?!" Kirby gasped.

"If Dedede keeps stealing more food, there won't be any more food on Pop Star!" Nago the cat cried. "And you wouldn't like that."

"Poyo!" Kirby replied with a shake of his head.

"If you need us, we're here to support you," ChuChu, the pink octopus assured.

"Chirp chirp! Yup!" Pitch, the green bird agreed.

"I'll go set up a place for me to paint an extra life or Max Tomato," the artist named Adeleine decided, running off. "I'll be near Castle Dedede!"

Kirby finally got up, putting on a more determined look. If there was one thing he kept personal, it was food most importantly. He wasted no time and began to run off. His Animal Friends, being supporters to the pink puffball, decided to follow.

Kirby continued following the Waddle Dees straight to a castle in the distance. However, before he could go any further, he ran into another enemy. It looked much similar to a Waddle Dee, except it had a large eye for its face. It shot a whip-like beam from its eye, hoping to hurt the pink hero.

However, Kirby never took the enemy known as a Waddle Doo as a threat. Opening his mouth wide, he began to inhale the Waddle Doo like a vacuum. It tried to fight it off, but it was no match and was sent flying into Kirby's mouth. Immediately afterward, he swallowed it whole.

With his orange and red jester hat - with the former being covered in white star-shaped polka dots, and his wand containing a blue orb on the top, Kirby defeated a couple of more Waddle Dees that tried to attack him with an orange beam that shot straight out of his wand in a whip-like fashion.

Kirby cheered as he moved through the grassy hills of Dream Land. He encountered a knight around his height wearing a golden helmet, red gauntlets, white boots, and a golden blade on top of its helmet that could act like a boomerang. The other enemy he saw resembled an elf with a humanoid appearance with a distinct head and torso. It only had hands, a light blue outfit and floppy hat, and also yellow, elfish shoes.

But to Kirby, these guys were nothing special. Charging up a beam, he fired it at the Sir Kibbles and Poppy Bros. Jr. and defeated them. With that, he carried on ahead to the road.

He crossed the river that led up to Castle Dedede, which wasn't much further ahead. Those angry eyes on the castle were enough to tell that this castle belonged to King Dedede.

Already Kirby was sensing trouble there. It was King Dedede after all. Him stealing food always meant trouble. All Kirby knew was that he was returning home with his food.

Reaching the gate to Castle Dedede, Kirby spotted Adeleine with her art board ready. When she saw Kirby, she immediately got to work and started to paint a Max Tomato. Once complete, it flew off the board. Kirby jumped and caught the tomato in his mouth.

"Poyo! Poyo!" Kirby thanked, giving Adeleine a wave.

"Good luck, Kirby! I hope you give Dedede what's coming!"

Kirby nodded and made his way to the front of the castle. He decided to take an easier route and took in some air to lift off the ground. Flapping his stubby arms, he began to float in the air and began to make his way over the gate, leaving some Waddle Dees surprised. Rather than go through the castle normally, he chose to make his way up to the window to King Dedede's throne room.

* * *

"Excellent work, Escargon! We got all the food that I wanted! I've been waiting AGES for this!" the blue penguin in a red robe named King Dedede drooled over the Max Tomatoes, soda, meat, candy, and the rest of the delicacies on the table. His throne room contained a red carpet and orange walls with his face as statues plastered on them. Even some pictures on the walls contained his pictures. A few looked like they were even forged!

A couple of Waddle Dees were carrying more food to the table, and beside them was a Waddle Dee wearing a blue bandana. There was also an anthropomorphic lavender snail with green eyes, a light green goatee, four teeth, and a dark green shell.

King Dedede couldn't help but gaze at the huge pile in excitement.

"WHOA! This is the most food I've seen you guys take in a while!" King Dedede gaped. "Seriously, you guys outdid yourselves!"

"Well, Your Majesty… Go ahead! Dig in!" the snail named Escargon moved away from the pile with a smile. "As the King of Dream Land, you've earned it!"

"Yeah, what he said," Bandana Waddle Dee nodded, also stepping aside.

King Dedede licked his lips as he prepared to dig in. He opened his mouth and prepared to inhale the pile of food...

"Poyo!"

King Dedede gawked when Kirby flew through the window. He let out the air he had in him and landed on the table with his wand. Escargon and Bandana Waddle Dee gulped and moved away from King Dedede. However, instead of reacting angrily, the king grinned.

"Well well well! If it isn't my good friend Kirby! I was sure you'd be here." King Dedede chuckled, grabbing a piece of meat and devouring it, followed by a loud burp.

"Your Majesty! Cover your mouth next time!" Escargon scolded, only to get whacked in the head by the king's hammer. Not only did it knock him onto the floor, but also left a nasty bump too.

"I do as I please, Escargon!" King Dedede growled. "Anyway, everyone better get outta here unless they wanna get clobbered! This is between me and Kirby!"

"I believe the correct term is 'Kirby and I'," Escargon corrected, only to be dragged out of the room by Bandana Waddle Dee and the other Waddle Dees. King Dedede, meanwhile, jumped off his throne and approached the pink puffball with his hammer ready.

"All right, Kirby… So you want the food, huh? Well, how about we settle this like old time's sake: a good ol' clobberin'!"

King Dedede raised his hammer and prepared to bring it down on Kirby. The puffball slightly jumped in fear and used his Beam ability to fire an orange Beam Whip at King Dedede, electrocuting him.

"YEOW!" King Dedede yelped as sparks came out of him. After quickly shaking off the hit, he grit his teeth angrily. "I forgot how much that hurt! Now to return the favor!"

King Dedede began hitting Kirby with his hammer as fast as he could. Though the puffball managed to dodge his attacks, he did manage to hit him twice. However, this didn't seem to slow Kirby down. King Dedede decided to use his own inhale ability to catch Kirby, but he easily floated over him and landed behind. One Wave Beam knocked him over.

Growling angrily, King Dedede got up and pulled out a black, spiky enemy with one eye known as a Gordo. With his hammer, he swung at it, sending the Gordo directly at Kirby. It bounced across the floor and hit the puffball, knocking his Beam ability away in the process. All that was left of it was a star with the Beam ability emblem bouncing around.

"Poyo!" Kirby cried.

"Heh heh heh! Now this'll be easy pickings!" King Dedede launched himself upward and struck the ground. Kirby had jumped out of the way and inhaled a yellow star that appeared from King Dedede's landing. Kirby spat it out, and the king was knocked back from the force of the attack.

King Dedede flinched as he rubbed his belly in pain. He decided to pull out another Gordo and whacked it toward Kirby. It was like playing golf – only here, the target was a moving pink puffball. King Dedede's face started to turn red as each Gordo missed, forcing him to rush at the pink puffball and try to hit him. But with the yellow stars it left behind, Kirby easily fought back and left the king exhausted.

"Looks like I need to change things up a bit," King Dedede grinned, opening his mouth and inhaling stronger than before. Kirby seemed surprised by this, as he was easily sucked in. But before the king could actually eat him, his hammer suddenly lit up in flames. "See how you like THIS, Kirby!"

King Dedede spun himself around, hitting Kirby several times. His last hit had swung his hammer like a golf club, which sent the pink puffball flying to the wall. When he finally fell to the ground, he started panting.

"Woo hoo! Way to go, King Dedede!" Bandana Waddle Dee cheered, as did many others behind.

"You've got this, Your Majesty!" Escargon exclaimed while raising a fist.

"Yeah, I do! Now shut up and let me clobber Kirby!" King Dedede suggested, silencing his minions. He finally approached the exhausted Kirby with a sinister grin. "Finally... It's time to put an end to this! Once I beat you, I'm gonna use you as a golfball!"

"Poyo…" Kirby gulped, his eyes filled with worry.

"So this Pop Star is my destination? How interesting…"

The two paused as they looked around the room for the new voice. The others watching from in the hallway were just as confused.

"What the… Who's there?" King Dedede questioned.

Maquano made his appearance in the throne via teleportating, along with Camikon. The former floated over the two, looking down at them with a grin hidden underneath his helmet.

"I happen to be here," Maquano stated. "You can call me Maquano."

"Maquano? What kind of name is that?" King Dedede gawked.

"Well, the same could be said about you, Your Majesty," Escargon informed, only for his eyes to widen as a Gordo came flying his way. Thankfully, he was able to get out of the way as it flew through the doorway and made a hole in the wall.

"Listen, whoever you are, I don't care who you are! Pop Star is MINE! Minions, go get him!" King Dedede pointed at the Demon Knight, and all of his Waddle Dees charged into the room, toppling over. Some leaped in the air and tried to tackle Maquano, only to bounce off.

"Nice," Maquano commented, dusting off his armor. "I've taken the power of the Silver Stars, which will surely intimidate people from other universes when I teleport there in no time. This power also means that you're not going to do much against me. Though, the results would probably be the same even without it."

"Nyeah heh heh har! You cannot stop Lord Maquano now!" Camikon cackled. "With his new power, he is invincible!"

"Poyo? …Poyo!" Kirby took action by inhaling a Waddle Dee and spitting it at Maquano. Much to Maquano and Camikon's surprise, he had been knocked toward the wall behind him.

"Wait... I thought it makes you invincible?!"

"I guess not," Maquano grumbled. "Either that, or this pink puffball is actually a threat. But I've got that taken care of!"

Drawing his blaster, Maquano started to fire Kirby's way. At the rate they were going, inhaling them would take some time. And unfortunately for Kirby, he didn't have time to dodge all of them when one shot knocked him against the wall.

"You know, that puffball reminds me of Chopper..." Maquano remarked, clenching his right fist while glowering at Kirby. "And after what he's done..."

"All right, listen here, dark knight! You're not welcome here!" King Dedede warned, gripping his hammer. "Either you take a hike, or my hammer will do the talking instead!"

"Now why would you want to hurt me, considering the offer I have for you?"

"Offer?"

"Poyo?" Kirby wondered, tilting his head to the right.

"Of course. But first..." Maquano fired a dark spell nearby, creating a dark portal that began to suck King Dedede, Kirby, and all of the Waddle Dees into it. As much as they clung to the floor, they could not escape.

"Your Majesty!" Escargon cried, diving into the portal.

"Wait a moment, Escargon!" Bandana Waddle Dee exclaimed, grabbing a hold of the snail before they got pulled in. When everyone save for Maquano and Camikon were sucked in, the portal closed.

"Excellent! We've got that taken care of!" Camikon smirked. "So, Lord Maquano... Where to next?"

"You'll see," Maquano answered, teleporting out of the castle. Camikon raised his wand and followed behind.

Unbeknownst to them, a blue, mysterious masked warrior and his two servants had been watching the entire thing in the hallway.

"That knight... I swear I've once seen him before..." the masked warrior remarked.

"And what were those Silver Stars that he mentioned?" one of the servants questioned.

"And did he say something about other universes?" another knight gawked.

"I'm afraid so..." the masked warrior nodded. "But if this demon wants King Dedede, then we might be in trouble."

"You have any ideas?"

"Yes. We must get the others ready." the masked knight stated, turning to face them. "I believe I might have an idea that will allow us to travel through other universes."

"You mean like that Lor Starcutter you mentioned to us?"

"Yes, but that one traveled through dimensions. Captain Vul and his crew are already coming up with something that'll help us travel beyond dimensions, so the Halberd should have greater travel capabilities than before."

"And where will we go?"

"Even I don't know. For now, we must go back to the Halberd."

Nodding, the masked warrior's two servants followed him through the hallways of Castle Dedede.

* * *

In another universe, several large capsules were on the green grass filled with several hills and trees. Inspecting them was a bald human with a long, light brown mustache and a pink nose. For the head area, he wore navy blue pince-nez glasses, and gray hexagonal-shaped goggles above his head. As for his large body, he was dressed in a red turtleneck jacket with a white accents on the front, back, and arms of his jacket, two white stripes on the left and right of his body with gold rectangular buttons in the center of each, golden cuffs on his sleeves, and white gloves. For the lower portion of his body, he wore black one-piece pants that went above his waist, and black boots with silver accents on the front and buttons on the ankles.

Right by the capsules were two more figures, only they were small and robotic. The first one had a head shaped like a half sphere, glowing light blue eyes and mouth, a torso compromised of a ball joint with a thin metal bar, and the bottom of his body was half a sphere. The top of his head, hands, and parts of his round joints were painted red.

Next to that robot was another that had the same glowing light blue eyes and mouth. Unlike the other, however, his head was shaped like a cube, having the top part of his head painted yellow, much like his hands, while the lower portion was black. Another difference was the yellow, cube-shaped body above the two spherical joints below him. The bottom part of his body was black and half of a cube that completed the yellow portion on his head.

"Hmmm… Let me see here…" the scientist began, continuing to inspect the capsules. "Orbot, Cubot... How many animals are in these capsules?"

"Well... I'd say there's a lot inside." the red robot answered.

"Why thank you for telling me the obvious, Orbot. Please, share some more with me."

"Ooh! I saw some more animals over by one of those loops!" the yellow robot spoke up.

"Then why are you sitting around and not getting them, Cubot?" the scientist growled. "We still don't have enough to get that hedgehog's attention!"

"Oh... Uhh... I'll get right to it!" Cubot replied sheepishly as he and Orbot began to move away. "Gee... The boss sure seems to be in a bad mood... Is it because I mentioned his mustache?"

"Cubot, you know that happened several months ago," Orbot assured calmly. "He's probably over it by now."

Meanwhile, the scientist looked down at the animals trapped in the capsules with a sinister grin. "Excellent! Just a few more, and Sonic is sure to notice by now! Then I'll finally destroy him once and for all! Gah ha ha ha ha-"

"Incoming!"

The scientist spotted Cubot in his cube form flying his way, but luckily, he was able to duck before he could get hit. As he finally sat up, Orbot had flown in next in his orb form and hit him in the face. He growled angrily as he turned to his two robots.

"Care to explain why you two hit me?" the scientist questioned, glaring at the two as they got out of their orb and shape forms.

"Over here, Eggface!"

The scientist immediately whirled around to face the figure speaking. It was a blue, anthropomorphic hedgehog with six quills on the back of his head, large pointy ears, green eyes, and a peach muzzle, belly, arms, and the front side of his ears. He was also wearing white gloves with sock cuffs and red sneakers with a white stripe, a yellow buckle, and white soles. Above his shoes were cuffs similar to his gloves. The hedgehog gave a confident smirk as he faced the evil doctor.

"I believe the correct name is Dr. Eggman," Orbot informed, but he was immediately ignored.

"Sonic? I had a feeling you would show up..." Eggman grinned. "So, you decided to leave your friends behind again?"

"Well I asked them if they wanted to join in on the fun," Sonic explained. "Tails said he'd be taking the Tornado here with Amy, and Knuckles... Well, he was just being Knuckles and taking his job too seriously... The Chaotix are too busy with a case... And Shadow and Rouge didn't seem too interested as usual. I'd ask Omega, but... He'd probably ruin the fun. So it's just you and me, Baldy McNosehair!"

"Figures..."

"Anyway, what do you have planned? Another ancient monster that you resurrected and will eventually betray you?"

"No."

"Are ya kidnapping more aliens to make another amusement park?"

"No."

"What about wiping time itself?"

"No, but I'd love to do it again if I could."

"You tryin' to find another conch to get those Zeti under your control? Like they'd be willing to serve you again."

"Argh... If I found one, I'd have turned them into robots a while ago." Eggman growled. "And you'd be out of rings the moment I'd sick them on you. But no, that's not the case."

"Oh... Well, what're you doin' with those animals then, Egghead?" Sonic wondered as he stretched his arms. "You back to your usual plans that failed to stop me every time?"

"Actually, believe it or not, those animals are insignificant to me," Eggman stated. "Their only purpose was to lure you here so I could finally destroy you!"

"Boss, what about that new robot you got?" Orbot whispered.

"I was just getting to that..." Eggman whispered back. He looked back at Sonic with a grin. "Now, then..."

Pulling out a remote, Eggman pressed the big red button on it. At first nothing happened, but then Sonic looked up and saw something descending from the sky.

As it got closer, Sonic saw that it was shaped like a humanoid. It sported a jetpack, machine guns on its arms, along with missiles, lasers, and a vacuum. Unlike other robots, this one did not have the look of Eggman. In fact, it sported red eyes and a silver color scheme to it.

"Allow me to introduce you to my newest creation, the Egg Destroyer! With its mighty power, I will finally destroy you!"

"Really? That's all it can do?" Sonic asked, a disappointed expression on his face. "C'mon, Egghead! Whatever happened to that one mech I destroyed on the Lost Hex? That looked a lot more menacing than this pile of junk!"

"Oh, really? Then why don't I prove it?" Eggman grinned, flying into the cockpit of his new mech and activating the missiles. Several fired from its hands and homed in on Sonic. He easily sped past them and lured them back to the Egg Destroyer. The missiles clashed, but Sonic noticed that no damage was done to the robot. "As you can see... I made it so that my own attacks don't hurt this robot, considering that I foresaw something just like this."

"Oh, wow. I've gotta hand it to ya, Egghead!" Sonic grinned. "You finally used your brain for once!"

"Yes, that's rig—Wai-wai-wai…Did you just..."

"He criticized your brain and then called you an egghead, Boss," Orbot informed.

"Yes, I know what he called me, Orbot!" Eggman growled. "But I don't appreciate his criticism..."

Sonic curled up in a ball as he dodged the Egg Destroyer's machine guns. When he found the opportunity, he leaped in the air and hit the cockpit with his signature Homing Attack.

"Argh... You little...!" Eggman growled. "Let's see how you like THIS!"

"Bring it on!" Sonic taunted, rushing at Eggman again. He smirked, wanting the hedgehog to come at him again. Pressing a blue button, the Egg Destroyer sucked Sonic in with its vacuum and spat him toward a tree. Rings began to fly everywhere as he stood up and brushed off the dirt. "Should've seen that coming..."

"Oh ho ho ho! What's the matter, Sonic? Are you giving up already?"

"Giving up? I'm just getting started!" Sonic smirked, reclaiming the rings he dropped. Using his Sonic Boost to surround himself in a blue aura that resembled a comet, he managed to reach Eggman with ease. He then started circling around the Egg Destroyer until a large, blue gust of wind appeared around the robot. He finally stopped running and stepped back. "Sonic Wind!"

The blue gust of wind got even stronger as it sent the Egg Destroyer flying into the air. The robot landed harshly, while Sonic wagged his finger at Orbot and Cubot.

"You better tell Eggman to come up with better plans, 'cause so far, none of them has managed to take me down!"

"I actually tell him that often..." Orbot sighed.

"Yeah, me too!" Cubot exclaimed.

"Well that's a shame. I guess he's got a much bigger ego than his IQ!" Sonic chuckled, only to stop when he felt himself get lifted off the ground by the Egg Destroyer's powerful stomp attack, along with Orbot and Cubot.

"Don't think that attack finished my Egg Destroyer!" Eggman cackled. "It can handle plenty of your tricks!"

"That's not gonna stop me from trying!"

Sonic dodged the Egg Destroyer's feet, jumping into his ball form once again to hit the cockpit. It tried to swipe away at the hedgehog, but he quickly avoided it and Spin Dashed up the Egg Destroyer once again, going in for another Homing Attack.

But Eggman foresaw this, and he made the Egg Destroyer whack Sonic away with a simply backhand slap. Sonic hit the ground harshly, but he managed to land on his feet while skidding back.

"Get a load of this!" Eggman exclaimed, activating the machine guns. Suddenly, the Egg Destroyer's hands turned into guns, which began to shoot yellow shots toward the hedgehog. Sonic merely grinned and started running to avoid the shots.

"Try all you want, Eggy, but you'll never be able to catch me!" Sonic taunted as he jumped off a tree nearby and used his Sonic Boost to knock the Egg Destroyer back. He then used a Homing Attack to strike its legs, then its arms, and finally, the cockpit.

"Gah! Why is it always so hard to take down this blue nuisance!" Eggman yelled, slamming his fists on the controls like a child.

"Well, Boss... Maybe you could have done away with the cockpit..." Orbot informed.

"I could do that... But how would I see my target then?!"

"Uhh..." Cubot began, his head turning sideways as he began to think. Meanwhile, Sonic had sped past the two robots, the wind knocking them on their backs.

"I think it's time to finish off your robot, Eggy," Sonic declared, adjusting the cuffs on his gloves. "It was fun, but I got other things to do!"

"Grrrrr! Well, I just so happen to have an attack saved just for this moment!" Eggman declared. "And I know it'll knock all of the rings out of you!"

"All right, bring it on!" the hedgehog smirked, revving up a Spin Dash and charging toward Eggman's robot. The scientist had charged as well, readying an attack that he knew would be enough to defeat his arch nemesis.

But as they got closer, a force had thrown them back.

Appearing in between the two was Maquano, along with his wizard Camikon.

"Hmmmm... Yes, this is it all right." Maquano nodded, taking a look at the grass, hills, trees, and the waterfall nearby.

"The terrain is a lot like that antennaed freak's planet," Camikon remarked.

"What? Who are you?" Eggman questioned.

"I'm referred to as Maquano," Maquano stated.

"Eggman, do you know this guy?" Sonic asked, now appearing annoyed. "I thought you said no ancient monsters?"

"I'm telling you, I don't know him!" Eggman complained. "He just appeared out of thin air!"

"Indeed. Thanks to the Silver Stars, not only have I gotten more powerful than before, but I can teleport to any universe I desire with little effort!"

"Silver Stars? What the hack are ya talkin' about?" Sonic questioned.

Maquano let out a chuckle. "It's so funny how no one knows about these Silver Stars. Just goes to show how people don't do their research on them."

"Look, I don't care whether you got these Silver Star things or not... If you're here to hurt my world, then you gotta get through me first!"

With that, Sonic went at full speed toward the Demon Knight and striking him with a Homing Attack. It threw him back, but Maquano merely brushed it off.

"You're a fast one... Much faster than my nemesis..." Maquano admitted. "But I know just how to handle a speeding bullet!"

"Lord Maquano, are you out of your mind?!" Camikon gasped. "Can you really handle an attack of a speeding bullet!"

"I'd listen to your old friend," Sonic advised. "I _am_ pretty fast. Faster than anyone else on this world."

"I've handled an attack that was at the speed of light. I can surely handle him." Maquano smirked. "Besides... I have gotten a few new powers thanks to the Silver Star."

As soon as Sonic came charging at Maquano with a Homing Attack, his red eyes flashed and instantly froze Sonic in place.

"HA! This is too easy!" Maquano summoned his dark sword and performed an overhead swing that knocked Sonic to the floor harshly once he was able to move again.

"Ungh..." Sonic grunted as slowly got himself up and started panting. "OK, I gotta hand it to ya... You're pretty good."

Meanwhile, all Eggman could do was gape at what he just witnessed. This mysterious knight guy... The fact that he managed to bring Sonic down like that made him stare in shock.

And then this knight was turning to him.

"As for you..." Maquano began, and Eggman instantly fired the Egg Destroyer's machine guns. He simply held up a hand and blocked all of the shots. "Calm down. I'm not here to destroy you."

"Eh... You're not?" Cubot gawked.

"No. In fact, I'm willing to offer you something, scientist."

"Really? And what's this offer?" Eggman inquired.

"I'll discuss it later," Maquano answered, summoning another dark portal. Suddenly, everyone save for Maquano, Camikon, and the capsules were beginning to get sucked into the portal. Despite Sonic holding onto one of the trees, the current was too strong for him, and his grip had been released before getting sucked in.

"Lord Maquano... I don't know what you're planning here..." Camikon said.

"Like I said, it'll be discussed later. Anyway, let's move on."

Wasting no time, Maquano and Camikon had teleported out of the universe, just in time for a red plane to fly down. Two people were on the plane. The first was a yellow fox with large ears, three curved strands of fury sticking out from his forehead, light blue eyes, a white, furry muzzle, a white, furry belly, shoes striped red and white, and two, large tails with the tips being white.

The second was another hedgehog, only she was pink and had her quills combed down. Like the fox, she had three curved strands of pink fur sticking out from her forehead, a peach muzzle and arms, a red dress with a white trim, golden rings on her wrist, white gloves, and red boots with gray soles. On her boots was a white vertical stripe.

"Sonic! We're here!" the fox exclaimed, landing the plane and flying out using his two tails like a propeller. However, when he saw no sight of anyone, he blinked in surprise. "Sonic?"

"Look, Tails! There's some capsules over there!" the pink hedgehog noted, pointing at the capsules.

"Oh... Let's free them, Amy!"

Tails and Amy headed over to the capsules, and by hitting the yellow button on the top, the body of the capsule was destroyed, allowing the animals to escape. Despite this, worried looks were on the two's faces.

"The capsules are here... But where did Sonic go?" Amy asked. "And Eggman's missing too!"

"I... I don't know..." Tails answered truthfully, looking down at the grass in depression. "It's like no one was ever here..."

* * *

 **And that's the start of this story! Not gonna lie, it feels good writing characters like King Dedede and Eggman. It's been a while since I wrote something with them in it.**

 **Originally I was going to show what Kirby said in parenthesis when saying "poyo", but since we never know what he's actually saying in the games, I just kept that word itself.**

 **Also, I insist that people let me know if anyone's acting out of character, as it's the thing I want to keep in this whole story. Any other feedback is welcome as well.**


	2. The Deal

**This chapter was originally supposed to be part of the first... But because it started to become a bit too long, I had to split it into two. But there's still plenty of material here for you to enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2: The Deal

Out on a snowy planet, an orange starship with a large, green visor was flying down into orbit. The closer it got to the planet, the foggier the environment started to get.

Eventually it landed on the snowy ground, right by a frozen river. The hatch opened on the top, and a humanoid figure wearing an orange, shiny suit with large, spherical-shaped shoulder pads rose from the top of the ship. The suit's helmet and middle portion of the body was red, along with the thrusters on the back, while the rest was orange, save for the lower abdomen and thighs, which were yellow. A few parts of the body had glowing green portions, such as the upper chest area, the back of the hand and the bluish green Arm Cannon on the figure's right arm. Much like the ship, there was a green visor on this person's helmet.

The fog and snow had gotten in the figure's face, and although it made it more difficult to see, she had plenty of visors to see through this fog. It also helped that suit protected her from these cold temperatures.

The bounty hunter, known all over the universe as Samus Aran, wasted no time in jumping off her ship via a somersault and landing on the soft snow. She started by placing two fingers on her visor to get a look at her holographic map.

Apparently the place she needed to find was closer than she realized.

For now, Samus had activated her Thermal Visor. Although it made everything purple in her surroundings, it was definitely clearer than having fog getting in the way.

 _"It's a good thing my genetic condition is back to normal..."_ Samus thought. _"Or else this snow would be troubling..."_

Wasting no time, Samus decided to move on ahead, the snow making crunching sounds each time she took a step. As it was a snowy environment, there was very little vegetation. Many mountains were in the distance as well, being covered in snow at the peak. Sure, it wasn't Phendrana Drifts, but it was admittedly pretty nice and relaxing.

As she explored, the bounty hunter spotted a few creatures roaming around, minding their own business. She scanned a navy blue one that was walking on all fours with icy claws, a sharp tail and six eyes resembling the color of ice.

Apparently it was identified as an Icard after scanning it, and it paid no attention Samus. At least, until it turned to face her. Opening its mouth, it started to breathe ice her way.

Thankfully, she was prepared for this kind of environment. Aiming her Arm Cannon, she fired a green beam at the Icard, and it was incinerated in a mere second.

 _"My Plasma Beam will do fine here,"_ Samus thought.

Samus continued on, spotting a river nearby. A few snowy platforms floating on the water were moving around, but for her, this was no issue. She jumped toward each one, performing a somersault as she landed on each one. Even with her suit, nothing was slowing Samus down thanks to her Chozo DNA.

A larger ice monster had been roaming around too. It was large, gray, and had a spine that was covered in many ice crystals. Six eyes were present on its head, and its teeth was made of pure ice.

It tried to take a bite out of Samus, but she leaped over the monster named a Spineice, grabbed its tail and flipped it onto its back. With the Spineice stunned, she charged up a Plasma Beam shot and fired at its head, wiping it out.

With that out of the way, she eventually ran into a path in between two mountains. There was a drop below covered in ice. However, the terrain resembled that of a half pipe, and considering that the main path was past that...

Getting the idea, Samus suddenly curled up in a ball. Suddenly, a pale blue glow surrounded her as her entire body turned into a literal ball with a few black indents on the side. One large vertical indent was in the center, and it had a green glow.

Rolling onto the icy terrain, Samus's Morph Ball began to brighten before she suddenly charged up the walls, leaving a bright orange trail behind. This repeated a few times until she reached the other side and reverted back to normal state.

After passing by the mountains, Samus's eyes widened when she finally found her destination. However, she saw a few figures moving around after looking through her Thermal Visor.

 _"Space Pirates... But what are they doing here?"_

From what she saw, these Space Pirates were apparently investigating this building. If these Space Pirates were somehow involved in this facility she needed to find...

 _"I've gotta take them out. Quickly."_

Wasting no time, Samus made a run closer to the facility. From getting closer, these pirates resembled bipeds with exoskeletons, but they had some appearances to a reptile as well. For starters, they had lobster-like claws that acted like guns, and their feet had two toes on the front, and one on the back. Their reptilian details were most prominent in the mouth area, having various sharp teeth. These Space Pirates in particular were gray, and they were equipped with white armor.

When they turned around, their eyes widened at the sight of Samus.

"Gah! Aran's here!" the first Space Pirate spat.

"We'll kill her first, then investigate the facility!" the second stated.

Both Space Pirates started firing red shots from their lobster-like claws, which Samus easily dodged thanks to her incredible agility. While dodging to the side, she fired several shots at the Space Pirates. They avoided them and approached the bounty hunter. One attempted to grab her, but Samus simply blocked it with her cannon and landed a kick to knock it back. The other tried slamming both claws on her, but the bounty hunter grabbed one and hurled the Space Pirate back. With them stunned, she fired two shots that wiped the Space Pirates out.

Once they were out of the way, Samus approached the building and turned off her Thermal Visor. Her eyebrows raised at the damage to the white building. Several windows were broken, while a few marks from shots were on the walls as well.

 _"What's going on here?"_ Samus thought, approaching the front door. She would've opened it, had it not been frozen solid. Thankfully, one Plasma Beam shot thawed out the ice, and one more shot had opened the hexagon-shaped door glowing a light blue.

Entering the facility, Samus was met with a dark room. The only thing keeping it from being pitch black was the broken windows letting in some light.

For now, she decided to take things slow, trying not to make any noise. With her Thermal Visor back on, she started to scout the room slowly with her Arm Cannon ready to fire. A few terminals were around, but they were either turned off or badly damaged.

She made her way over to the door nearby and blasted it open. Another large room was present, having even more terminals and controls. But now there was a big monitor over to her right.

As Samus scanned the room, she immediately got in a fighting position when she spotted a Space Pirate sitting by the corner. However, it didn't make any sudden movements. In fact, it didn't look like it was even alive!

Then she got a closer look, and after carefully touching it, the Space Pirate turned into dust.

 _"Wait a moment... There's only one way a Space Pirate could die like that..."_ Samus thought, and her eyes widened. _"Were these Space Pirates recreating Metroids?!"_

Metroids... The last time she saw them, they were on the Biologic Space Laboratories research station. But the fact that some still remained made Samus shake a fist.

 _"Do those Space Pirates realize what they're dealing with?! There's a reason why I had to eliminate them on SR388; they're too dangerous for anyone to handle!"_

Just the thought of a Metroid being around immediately made Samus stand up and aim her Arm Cannon. Just to make sure, she had her Ice Beam enabled.

Firing a shot at another door nearby to the upper right, she found several glass capsules. Many were small and had a broken hole through each. Only two were intact, and inside were small creatures with thick, gelatinous membranes containing three red, raspberry-shaped, tripartite nuclei, and two pairs of mandibles on the bottom.

Yeah, those were the Metroids all right... And they didn't look too happy to see Samus when they were banging inside their capsules.

However, one capsule caught Samus's attention the most. It was up ahead, and it was ten times as big as the others.

 _"Metroids were in the smaller ones... But I don't know about that big one..."_

Before she could do anything else, she heard a loud roar coming from elsewhere. The rest of the capsules also broke, releasing the two Metroids that immediately went after Samus.

Right when she was about to fire, one Metroid latched onto her body and started sucking the energy out of her. Having dealt with these jellyfish-like aliens, she got into her Morph Ball and dropped glowing blue bombs that exploded. The explosion lifted her off the ground, but it was able to make the Metroid release her.

After getting out of her Morph Ball form, she used her Ice Beam to freeze both Metroids and blow them up with a missile.

Leaving the room, Samus's attention was drawn to the other door. However, just out of curiosity, she decided to scan one of the terminals to get some information.

 _Log 11.759.1_

 _The development of the Metroids is almost complete. Despite their destruction, we did manage to recover some remains after the Biologic Space Laboratories research station blew up SR388. Thanks to our advanced technology, we can revive the Metroids in less than a week! Aran is surely going to find out about this... But she'll be in for a surprise when she sees who we're reviving! Zebes may be gone... But his remains have not vanished! Now they are in our hands, and he will tear Aran apart when he's fully revived!_

Samus was about to mentally comment about this, but then another roar grabbed her attention. She hurried to the other door, and after blasting it open, hid behind the wall. Taking a small peek, the bounty hunter spotted a larger room with a few more terminals, along with a generator.

But then she looked at the upper right corner and spotted a silhouette of figure, and boy was it big.

Before the door could close, Samus dove through quietly and aimed her Arm Cannon at the monster while approaching it. The sounds of it breathing made her heart rate increase.

Eventually this figure brought its fist down on the generator. Suddenly, the lights in the room turned on, and Samus had gotten a look at the monster's identity.

The figure was revealed to be a purple monster resembling that of a dragon. It had three, clawed fingers, two toes on the front and three on the back, magenta wings, and a long tail with the point resembling a spear.

But this monster was all too familiar to Samus...

 _"So this is what the log was mentioning..."_ Samus thought, her eyes glowering at the monster. _"The Space Pirates must have found a way to revive Ridley from Zebes's explosion..."_

The moment Ridley turned, his eyes had spotted Samus, and they started to narrow angrily. Just remembering what she had done fueled him with even more anger than Samus showed.

Roaring, Ridley lunged at his nemesis, grabbing her and slamming her onto the wall. Samus fired her Plasma Beam, but with her being dragged along the wall, her suit was suffering some fatal damage as a trail of sparks was left behind.

Luckily, Samus managed to get one shot at Ridley's chest, forcing him to release her while getting thrown back. Upon landing, some sparks flew out of her suit, but it wasn't enough to leave her concerned.

Charging up a Plasma Beam shot, she ran up to Ridley while he was stunned, and shoving her Arm Cannon into his mouth, Samus fired her attack. Ridley let out a painful scream as his tail swung around. Unfortunately, Samus had paid no attention to this and was knocked back.

She got up just in time to dodge Ridley's tail jab and shot a Super Missile at the Space Pirate commander's chest. Ridley screamed in pain again as it got knocked to the wall and became motionless, leaving Samus sighing in relief. But her relief didn't last long when Ridley moved and spat a fireball her way, knocking the bounty hunter to the ground.

Ridley let out a roar as he ascended thanks to his wings and started breathing fire. Samus jumped back thanks to the thrusters on the back of her Varia Suit. She charged up another shot, while Ridley had landed on the ground.

A plan formed in the monster's mind as a smirk formed on his face. Grabbing a hold of the ground, he fired an orange beam from his mouth. It caused the whole room to tremor until the floor started to crumble. The two fell, but luckily there was a platform for them to land on below.

Looking below, Samus had spotted a large pool of lava. Good thing her Varia Suit was on her, or else the results could've been another issue...

Before Ridley could make moves, Samus fired two shots at his chest, causing him to screech and lunge again. He swung his claws and tail, but Samus had jumped and slid under each of his attacks. Ridley growled as he fired a deadly beam from his mouth at Samus when she was in his sight. She jumped out of the way in time and managed to blast him a couple of times from behind with her Plasma Beam.

 _"All right... I can do this..."_ Samus thought. _"He's just the same old Ridley..."_

Ridley flew up and was about to charge another powerful attack. However, this left him open for Samus, as his chest was completely vulnerable. The bounty hunter smirked under her helmet as she charged up a Super Missile.

With one Super Missile, Ridley let out another painful scream as he fell onto the platform.

Both started to pant as they faced each other, but neither looked like they were willing to give up.

Charging up another Plasma Beam, Samus made the first move and charged straight for Ridley. He did the same, his claws ready to strike.

But then black energy appeared, and a sudden force threw the two away from each other.

 _"What the heck?"_

"This temperature... Why does it feel just like home?" Camikon questioned as the darkness cleared, revealing Maquano and Camikon.

"It's probably because we're in a pretty hot area, Camikon," Maquano answered in annoyance while crossing his arms.

 _"So these people can talk?"_ Samus thought, having no need to remain silent now, but she kept her Arm Cannon aimed at the Demon Knight. "Who are you?"

"Who? Me? The name's Maquano." Maquano answered, taking a look at Samus's Arm Cannon. For some reason, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Nice kid's toy!"

" _Kid's toy_?"

Samus decided not to waste any time and fired a shot Maquano's way. All he did was use his cape to shield himself, and the shot was gone in an instant. To her surprise, the cape was not harmed in the slightest Samus fired another shot, but this time the Demon Knight flew aside, causing Camikon to get hit instead.

"Ack! Watch it, you young whippersnapper!" Camikon barked, shaking his wand at the bounty hunter.

"You wanna see a real weapon?" Maquano asked, his sword and blaster materializing in his hands. "Hmmm... Picking between Dark Oblivion and Darkness is a tough decision. I guess I'll go with Darkness for now!"

He lowered his sword as he started firing black shots faster than Samus. She dodged them just fine, but each time she fired at Maquano, he vanished from that position until he was right in front of her.

Before Samus could attempt to flip him onto the ground, Ridley had stepped behind the Demon Knight and raised his claws.

...Only for Maquano to grab his arm without looking. Samus saw this as a chance to attack, and she managed to land a shot on the Demon Knight. Maquano cringed, but he immediately fought back with a dark spell that knocked her away.

Unfortunately, this had a detrimental effect to Samus. She noticed that her suit had changed from an orange color to a yellow, and the spherical-shaped shoulders had become flat instead. To make matters worse, when she fired a shot, only her normal Power Beam was fired.

 _"Oh no..."_ Samus thought. _"That attack must've done more to me than I thought..."_

With the intense heat in the area, she found the effects of the temperature doing harm her.

"Oh, look... I must've done away with a lot of your abilities. Nice. Now as for you, you...whatever the heck you are." Maquano said as he turned to Ridley, who roared in his face. Only his cape was blown back by the roar, while the Demon Knight himself didn't faze in the slightest. "I don't have any interest in fighting you. In fact, there's something I'd like to offer you."

Maquano summoned another dark portal, and it started sucking both Samus and Ridley in. The former was immediately pulled in, while the latter latched himself onto the platform to resist the current. Unfortunately, it was too strong for even him, and it wasn't long until he was sucked in.

"That no-good freak..." Camikon grumbled, flying back into action, only to notice that the two were gone. "Hey! Where's that orange whippersnapper?!"

"Not here, that's for sure," Maquano answered. "So I've got three so far... Two more should be enough... Come, Camikon!"

With that, he and Camikon had teleported out of this universe.

* * *

Elsewhere in a more colorful and cartoony universe, two humans were sitting at a table in their house, which sported white walls, a brown floor, a few drawers, and a doorway leading to a bedroom with a bunk bed. The top bunk had a red blanket, while the bottom had a green.

As for the two people at the table, the first was a man with peach skin, brown hair, blue eyes, and a black mustache. The attire he was garbed on was a red hat with the letter M on a round, white portion, a red shirt, blue overalls, white gloves, and brown shoes with beige soles.

The other figure had a similar resemblance to the other. However, his head was less chubby and a more oval-like in shape. He also had the same skin color, hair, eyes, and mustache as the other, although his mustache was a lot simpler, and his hair color was slightly lighter. The overalls, shirt, white gloves, hat, and shoes were similar, except his shirt and cap were green instead of red, while his cap had the letter L on the white, round portion instead. He was also taller and less chubby too.

"Ah, this is such a nice, peaceful day, wouldn't you agree with me, Bro?" the green one asked.

The man in red gave a nod as he sipped his tea.

"I think it's been a while since Bowser's gone out to kidnap the princess. ...Maybe he's planning something."

As the red man started to ponder, the sound of fluttering wings caught their attention.

"MAIL CALL!"

"Give me a moment, Mario. I'll get the mail!" the green man insisted, walking out of the house and onto the luscious, green grass. Fluttering by the mail post was an anthropomorphic turtle with a brown pilots hat, a light blue shell, a beige belly, brown boots, a mailbag, and white wings.

"Hey, Parakarry! Long time no see!"

"Luigi? It's been a while since I've seen you too!" Parakarry reached into his mailbag and took out a pink envelope. "Here you go, Luigi! It's a letter to Mario!"

"Thank you!" Luigi smiled, taking the letter.

After Parakarry flew off, Luigi headed back inside his yellow house sporting a red roof.

"It looks like you got a letter from Princess Peach!" Luigi announced as he opened Mario's envelope and pulled out the letter. "Here, take a look!"

Mario took the letter and started to read it. Luigi stood by his side to get a look as well.

 _Dear Mario,_

 _I'm throwing a party at my castle today! I'd be honored if you and Luigi could attend. There are many guests from different towns that are hoping to meet you. Lots of different delicacies will be served as well! It should be exciting! I hope to see you soon!_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Peach_

Just the thought of the food being offered made Mario drool.

"Mama mia..."

"Oh, boy! A party! That should give us something to do for the day!" Luigi smiled. "Come on, Mario! Let's head for Toad Town! We don't want to miss the party!"

"Let's-a go!" Mario nodded, taking the lead and heading outside of the house. The two made a sprint for Toad Town at that instant.

* * *

The Mario Bros. started to pant as they finally arrived at the entrance to Toad Town. The town itself was filled with several houses. The Toad inhabitants, however, were a different story. They shared the same skin color as Mario and Luigi, but they were much shorter and wore a white caps with red polka dots, a blue vest with a yellow trim, and white bottoms. Unlike the brothers, they lacked legs, only having two brown feet. There were more than just those Toads with the color scheme on their hat and vests. Some were red, yellow, green, and blue.

These Toads, had given Mario and Luigi some greetings and waves as they made their way to the castle. By the time they got to the center of Toad Town, they spotted several people heading to a large, white castle with red roofs.

But Toads weren't the only ones in this town. Several more turtle people just like Parakarry were around near the post office building. A few didn't even have wings!

They even came across a green dinosaur with a large nose, red spines, a red, shell-shaped saddle, and orange shoes with yellow soles.

"Hey, Yoshi! Nice to see you?" Luigi greeted. "Hopefully we meet you later!"

Yoshi gave them a nod as they carried on ahead. However, Luigi found himself shaking when he spotted several round ghosts with a few teeth and tongues hanging out of their mouths. They were being led by a pale green ghost wearing a pair of red bows on the sides of her head. Accompanying her was a dull-looking ghost with a white toupee, a handkerchief, and a monocle.

"M-Mario... Wh-What are B-Boos doing here?!" Luigi stammered.

Even Mario was surprised by these Boo creatures being present. Normally they were not ones to be out in light places. That, and they normally didn't like to show their faces. But he decided to pay no attention to them for now and carried on to the castle, though Luigi kept his eyes on them nervously.

As they hurried toward the castle ahead, the sounds of projectiles firing caught the two's attention. Several cannonballs were fired and hit some of the buildings.

"What the... What's going on?!" Luigi gasped. "Is it... Oh no... We gotta get to the princess quickly, Mario!"

Mario nodded, and with his fists clenched, he picked up the pace.

When they finally reached the castle's front entrance, the two spotted one large airship descending. The symbol on the flag was definitely one Mario had remembered this whole time.

At the front of the castle's entrance were several Toads holding spears, and behind them were two more humans. One was a woman with peach skin, long, blonde hair going down to her waist, blue eyes, blue orb-shaped earrings, a golden crown, a pink dress with a blue brooch, and white gloves. The second was another woman sharing the same skin color with a gold crown, blue eyes, a dress, and white gloves. However, her dress was a yellow color instead, and her brooch was green and had petals decorated on it. She also had earrings shaped like daisies, and her brown hair went down to her shoulders.

Standing right beside the two princesses was an elderly Toad with a white mustache and brown feet. He was wearing a beige cap with brown spots, small, black glasses, and a light purple vest. In his right hand was a stick-like cane with a brown mushroom cap on it.

On the airship, meanwhile, was a large, turtle creature with a peach muzzle and belly, red eyes, four fingers sporting claws, a tail with three spikes on the top, a green head with two curved horns pointing out, a green shell covered in beige spikes, fiery red-orange bushy eyebrows and hair, and a yellow, scaly body. Along with that, he wore several spiky gray collars; one around his neck, and two on his arms.

Another turtle creature was by his side, and even had a few resemblances to the large one. But unlike him, he was much smaller, having his small, red-orange hair in a ponytail, and his collars lacked any spikes. Another detail to him unlike the larger turtle was that he wore a white bandana with a mouth scribbled in red showing sharp teeth poorly drawn.

The second figure by the large turtle's size was also another turtle creature. But unlike the other two, he was a golden yellow color, lacked a shell, and was garbed in a blue hat and robe. In his hands, however, was a wand with an orb on top. He appeared to be on a broomstick.

"Oh no... Bowser's here..." Luigi gulped. "And there's Princess Peach and Princess Daisy!"

"Well well well..." Bowser began with crossed arms, making the Toad guards shake. "So you've got yourself a big party thrown, Princess Peach... And you didn't invite _me_?!"

"Who'd invite you?" Daisy scoffed.

"Princess Daisy... I'd advise not talking back like that..." the elder Toad warned.

"Oh pipe down, Toadsworth. I can say what I want to him!"

"You know you're talking to King Bowser here, missy!" the one in blue exclaimed, only to get shoved away.

"Stay out of this, Kamek," Bowser growled, jumping off the airship and landing in front of the Toad guards. They were so struck with fear that they all scurried away, leaving only the two princesses and Toadsworth.

"Bowser..." Peach began calmly. "I understand why you're upset, and I would've been happy to invite you. But I also realized that it would just give you another chance to kidnap me."

"I'd kidnap you either way," Bowser grinned. "So how 'bout you just make it easy on yourself and let me get to kidnapping?"

"Like she'd let you do that," Daisy countered. "And what is that smell anyway? Is it your breath?"

"GAH! No one insults my awesomeness!" the Koopa King roared, stomping the ground angrily. "I'm taking both of you!"

Mario immediately sprung into action at the moment. He made a big leap in the air and landed a stomp on Bowser's head before landing.

"Argh! Who in the... Mario!" Bowser growled, turning to the plumber. "I thought you'd be here... And you even brought Luigi as well!"

"Mario!" Peach cried.

"Luigi!" Daisy exclaimed, sounding more excited than in despair.

"Oh, thank goodness you arrived!" Toadsworth sighed in relief. "You have no idea how stressed I was getting!"

"All right, fine! I'll deal with you first, then I'll kidnap the two princesses!" Bowser looked up at the smaller Koopa on the airship. "Jr., watch carefully! I'm gonna show you how to take down Mario!"

"Don't worry, Dad, I'm watching!" Bowser Jr. assured. "Pummel Mario as best as you can!"

"And don't think you two will be running off so soon!" Kamek grinned, flying over to the two princesses and Toadsworth and using his wand to create a barrier around them.

"Gwa ha ha ha! Excellent plan, Kamek! Now then..." Bowser pointed a clawed finger at Mario. "It's showtime!"

Bowser leaped toward Mario and drove his fist to the ground. But with his incredible jumping skills, the plumber in red was able to somersault backwards, and as soon as Bowser landed, delivered another stomp to his head. Bowser winced from the hit, but he attempted to swipe his claws at the plumber. Mario easily dodged the attack and performed an uppercut punch, also known as his Super Jump Punch on Bowser's jaw to launch him upward. While he was falling, Mario dropkicked his belly and knocked him on his back.

But it hadn't taken long for Bowser to be back on his feet. When he found Mario, he opened his mouth and started shooting fireballs his way. He continuously dodged them, with one unfortunate to come Peach, Daisy, and Toadsworth's way. They gasped and shielded their faces, but the fireball exploded right on the barrier without damaging them.

"Gah! All right... Let's make this fight interesting!" Bowser grinned. "Goombas! Come on out!"

Suddenly, several brown, mushroom-shaped creatures with thick, black eyebrows, fangs on the bottom side of their mouths, beige bodies and brown feet leaped out of the airship and started charging at Mario. He easily jumped over or stomped on these Goombas, flattening them. However, a few were suddenly lit on fire and sent flying up when Bowser shot a fireball at them.

"Bro! You might want this!" Luigi offered, taking out a gray hammer with a brown handle.

Mario smiled as he took the the hammer and readied himself for the falling Goombas. Each time he swung, the Goombas were sent back at Bowser, and each one made him grit his teeth.

"Dad! Don't let Mario get to you!" Bowser Jr. exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're right, Son," Bowser said calmly. "The King of Awesome can't start raging just yet. I've still got a few more tricks up my sleeves!"

Getting in his shell, Bowser started rolling Mario's way. He decided not to chance it and made a run for it, but Bowser easily caught up to him and it wasn't long until he was thrown onto his stomach.

As he slowly got up, his attention was drawn to a few blocks nearby. Most of them were brown Brick Blocks, but one was yellow and had a white question mark on it. Knowing what to do, he ran underneath the ? Block, and striking it from underneath with a fist, the block had become a solid brown. However, an orange flower had popped out of the block and landed in front of him. Mario scooped it up and absorbed it. While his attire didn't have a major change, his shirt and cap became white, while his overalls were now red.

"It's-a go time!"

Mario grew a confident look as Bowser stood up and was charging his way. Swinging his arm forward, a fireball had shot out of his hand and started bouncing across the ground. When it hit Bowser, he winced, but he immediately stopped and started breathing a stream of fire. Even when countering with his own fireballs, it didn't seem to be enough to stop him.

"Give up, Mario! You're not going to ever stop me!" Bowser cackled. "I'm just like a cockroach! I'll only come back up!"

Bowser dashed toward Mario with another punch, but the plumber jumped in the air, and after bouncing off his arm, struck his head again. As he fell, Mario swung his hammer down on him.

The Koopa King had to rub his head in pain as his eyes narrowed angrily at Mario.

 _"This plumber's making a fool out of me in front of my own army and son!"_ Bowser thought, smoke coming out of his nostrils. _"That's it! I'm gonna give him the sickest burn he's ever going to feel!"_

Opening his mouth, Bowser took a deep breath, then when he had enough, he unleashed his fiery breath upon the plumber.

"Mario!" Peach cried, her hands covering her mouth.

However, darkness appeared between the two, but it was soon engulfed in flames. When it eventually cleared, Maquano and Camikon appeared, completely unscathed by the fire.

"Wait... What? Who the heck are these two bozos that got in the way of my awesome attack?!" Bowser growled.

"The name's Maquano," Maquano introduced, patting his cape to get rid of one flame present. "And nice fire attack. You can surely roast some food for me with that kind of fire."

"No one insults my fire breath like that! Especially from a guy smaller than me!" Bowser roared, stomping over to Maquano. Despite being much bigger than him, the Demon Knight didn't look all that fazed.

"I'd take it as a compliment instead," Camikon advised.

"A wand... A hat... A broomstick... And a robe..." Kamek mumbled as he inspected Camikon. "Who does this geezer think he is, ripping off my style?!"

" _Your_ style?! I'll have you know that I've been alive for thousands of years!" Camikon yelled. "And this old geezer sure isn't afraid to go up there and give you some proper discipline!"

Meanwhile, Mario was unable to analyze the situation here. Here he was, fighting Bowser, and suddenly these two mysterious people show up? And they took Bowser's fire like it was nothing!

Obviously these guys were a major threat, so Mario made a big leap for the Demon Knight. He didn't even have to look to summon black lightning from above, striking the plumber and stripping him of his Fire Flower ability. As a result, his clothing had returned to its original color.

"Mario!" Peach cried, covering her mouth.

"Oh, dear..." Toadsworth gulped.

"Look, I don't have all day to be dealing with you," Maquano spat. "I have some business to attend to!"

As he turned to Bowser, the Boos the Mario Bros. encountered before made their appearance. All of them snickered as they opened their mouths wide in an attempt to spook them. Luigi was obviously spooked by this, as he cowered behind a bush, but Maquano rolled his eyes and summoned a dark portal to suck them in.

"Wha... He just got rid of all those Boos in a second!" Luigi gulped.

"Anyway..." the Demon Knight began, turning his head to Bowser. "I'd like to offer you something."

"An offer? What the heck are you babbling about?" Bowser questioned, his glare still intact.

"Well... To start off..."

Summoning another dark portal, Mario and Bowser's eyes widened as they found themselves being sucked in, along with Bowser Jr. and Kamek. Only Luigi, the two princesses, and Toadsworth remained. On the plus side, the barrier around them was gone.

"Mario!" Luigi cried.

"Oh my..." Toadsworth gawked.

"Mario..." Peach trailed. "He and Bowser are gone..."

"Oh, don't worry... They're not dead. At least the big guy is. The other? I just threw him elsewhere." Maquano said, turning back to Camikon. "All right. I only need one more person... Camikon, return to base."

"Wha... Are you sure, Lord Maquano?" Camikon gawked.

"Yes. I'll take the last one from here."

Camikon lightly shrugged before he teleported back to base. Maquano, meanwhile, had teleported out of this universe, leaving the remaining people gaping in shock.

* * *

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

A figure had made a turn and dashed for the door ahead. When it opened, a bright light came into the dark room, and the figure had leaped out, revealing his full appearance. It turned out to be a young angel with peach skin, brown tufts of hair and large blue eyes. The angel was wearing a white tunic with red and gold hems on the bottom, with the outfit being fastened by a gold pin, while a ruby embedded on his right shoulder. Wrapped around his head was a golden laurel crown, while on his wrists were a pair of bronze and gold cuffs. Around his waist was a brown belt with silver lining and a gold, triangular buckle. Beneath his tunic were navy blue tights going above his knees, and on his feet were brown sandals decorated with crossing, beige bands, and wool was also present on the top edge of his sandals. The most notable thing about him were his white wings that were glowing blue.

In his hand was a bow with curved edges, ornate gold on the outside, and blue with patterns on the inside. Because of this bow, there were two halos on the angel's left arm.

"Whew! It feels like it's been ages since I've finally taken flight!" the angel remarked, getting a view of the beautiful blue sky. He flew past a few clouds and spun around cheerfully. "Yeah! This is so awesome!"

 _"Pit, you didn't forget that I'm the one controlling the Power of Flight, right?"_

"Oh... Right." Pit chuckled sheepishly, hearing a feminine voice in his head. "Sorry, Lady Palutena..."

 _"Now's not the time for any apologies, Pit. We've got a serious situation on our hands."_

"Seriously? Things have already mellowed down since the last game..."

 _"Unfortunately, that's not the case,"_ Palutena said in a serious tone. _"Medusa is back, and she's attacking Viridi's sanctuary."_

"What?! Medusa's back?!" Pit gasped, and that was when a large, pink enemy with numerous tentacles and a single blue eye appeared. Several of them, in fact. And they were firing balls of purple and dark energy his way. "Oh, man... Not Monoeyes..."

With his bow ready, Pit started firing at the Monoeyes, wiping them out within seconds. As he did this, a yellow, fish-like enemy with a single green stripe going across its body appeared. It sported a dorsal and tail fin with a black and red design to them and had eyes far from each other on its elongated head.

"Wave Angelers too? You've gotta be kidding me..." Pit sighed, dodging their crescent-shaped projectiles and taking them out. "How did Medusa come back?"

 _"I don't know... But we need to stop her right away before things go out of hand."_ Palutena insisted. _"Thankfully, Viridi's sanctuary is not too far from here, so we should get there in less than five minutes."_

"Well that's a relief. I don't wanna be smelling burned wings..."

 _"You know... Chicken wings do make a fine delicacy."_

"H-Hey! I'm right here, you know!"

 _"Oh, I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself!"_ Palutena giggled. _"Like I'd ever use your wings to cook up something nice."_

Pit found himself pouting as he took out a few more Monoeyes and Wave Anglers, along with orange, octopus-like enemies called Octos. As he flew further, he started to spot a floating island ahead. It was filled mostly with trees, grass, and anything that was considered natural. Being here before, Pit easily recognized the island.

"I wonder how Viridi's doing..." Pit pondered. "It's been a while since we spoke to her. The last time we spoke, it was after we defeated Hades..."

 _"Even I'll admit that Viridi's been very quiet... It's almost out of character of her... But now that we have a reason to go there, we might just get some information from her. Hopefully she's not planning something against the humans..."_

"Let's hope she talks five minutes without calling me a dweeb!" Pit smiled, hope on his face as he flew into the island.

* * *

When Palutena found the right place to land, she deactivated the Power of Flight on Pit as he touched the ground. As he expected, Monoeyes, Wave Anglers, and Octos were present here. Taking them out was no issue as he traveled through the luscious forest.

"I gotta hand to it Viridi... She really knows how to make a nice and colorful environment. Way better than all that brown you see in other games..."

 _"You're telling me,"_ Palutena agreed.

However, his eyes were quickly drawn to the sanctuary up ahead. It was painted a red orange, just as he remembered. The front entrance was covered in many bushes and flowers... But with the Underworld Army here, they were sure making a mess of this place.

But then Pit's eyes were drawn to one feminine figure in particular. The figure was pale skinned, and had black hair, along with many green snakes above, save for the single orange one. She was in a long, black dress with golden hems going down to where it slowly became red. The left side of the dress was completely sleeveless, revealing a black cuff with a golden trim on her wrist. In her hand was gold staff with two snake figures curled up.

"Medusa!" Pit exclaimed, running after the Goddess of Darkness.

 _"It's over, Medusa! Your invasion ends here!"_ Palutena declared.

"Well, if it isn't Pit and Palutena! I didn't expect you to be here so soon!" Medusa spat, while the snakes on her head hissed at him. "Let me guess... You're here to ruin my invasion?"

"That's right! And... Wait, how are you suddenly smaller compared to last time?"

 _"I was just about to mention that too..."_

"None of that is important right now, impudent whelps! In fact... I've been waiting for you this whole time."

"Wait... You were?" Pit gawked. "So... You're not actually invading Viridi's sanctuary?"

 _"I'd be careful, Pit..."_

"Oh, don't get me wrong... I do plan on wrecking her home... But there's one thing I want to say to you..." Medusa smirked as she grabbed her head and, to Pit and Palutena's shock, pulled it off her body. "Surprise, Pitty Pat!"

After a poof of darkness, a new figure took Medusa's place. Instead of being a woman, it was a muscular male who looked more demonic compared to her. For starters, his skin was purple and covered up in many red tattoos, with his arms and legs having red lines on them. His hair was long and mixed with red, green and pink. He was wearing robes and clothing with asymmetrical shapes, and a cape made entirely of darkness and fire.

"H-Hades?!" Pit gaped.

 _"Wait... Hades?!"_ Palutena gasped.

"That's my name," Hades grinned, satisfied with Pit's expression. "So how was it, Pitty Pat? And you too, Pretty Palutena. Did my costume surprise you?"

 _"This isn't what I was expecting..."_

"Well, yeah! I am surprised! How are you alive?!" Pit exclaimed.

"You can thank me for that," Maquano interjected, appearing near Hades.

"What in the world?! And now there's another bad guy here?"

 _"This could be problematic..."_

"I'm not just any bad guy, you know. It's Maquano. I'm a Demon Knight that comes from another universe."

"You can thank ol' Quany Poo here for my resurrection," Hades explained, and Maquano's right eye twitched.

 _"Well, he sure did a good job if you became smaller,"_ Palutena commented.

"Oh, that's all right, Pretty Palutena. It doesn't make much of a difference if my strength is the same way it was before. Plus, I'm already bigger than Quany Poo here..."

"I'm seriously going to kill you if you keep calling me that..." Maquano muttered, his left fist shaking.

"Huh... Now that I think about it, that guy in the armor doesn't seem to be that big... Maybe he's not much of a threat?"

 _"I wouldn't be so sure on that, Pit..."_ Palutena warned. _"He may be around your size, but there's an incredibly dark aura coming from him..."_

"But now that I'm back, ladies everywhere are crying tears of joy. It just warms up my soul, knowing that my godly body can be seen by my loving fans." Hades smirked. "Anyway... What do you say we settle this, Pitty Pat? I've been wanting to finish you ever since I've reclaimed by gorgeous body."

"Fine! If I finished you last time, I can do it again! The most powerful Nintendo villain is no match for me!"

"I'm stronger," Maquano coughed.

"Wait..." Pit stopped himself as he looked at Maquano. "What about him?"

"Oh, don't be concerned about him. This fight's between us." Hades noted, reeling back a fist. "And don't be worried about betting any hearts to raise the difficulty. This one's beyond 9.0!"

Hades charged at full force and threw a punch that sent Pit flying back to a tree.

"Hey! What's going on out there?!" a childlike voice shouted. Everyone turned their attention to the sanctuary entrance, where they spotted a little girl with pale blonde hair tied up in a long ponytail using vines. Her attire included a shin-length dress colored in purple, red, and pink, and decorated on it were numerous vines. Her left sleeve was completely bare compared to her right, having green and brown on it. She was also wearing sandals, and in her hand was a wooden staff that curved like a scythe at the top.

"Oh, hey, Viridi..." Pit mumbled, rubbing his head from the crash. "Don't worry... I'm here to save you from Hades..."

"Like I'd need your help, dweeb! I could handle Hades on my own if I wanted!"

"Wow... It only took you less than ten seconds to call me a dweeb... That's a new record!"

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, rosebud," Hades replied. "You never even fought Pitty Pat or myself!"

"Well... Uhhh... I could totally..." Viridi stammered, fumbling around with her words until she aimed a finger at Hades. "Children! Get rid of Hades!"

Several brown acorns with a single yellow eye and leaf wings flew in, but it didn't take much effort for Maquano to take them out. By simply throwing his sword, it sliced through them, taking out the Nutskis.

"Lady Palutena... Do you even have a clue who this mysterious guy in armor is?" Pit asked, firing a few arrows at Hades while eyeing Maquano, who had caught his returning sword.

 _"If I knew, I would've told you,"_ Palutena answered. _"Whoever he is, he doesn't come from here..."_

"Great... How am I supposed to take him on when I have Hades to deal with?"

"Actually, I can take care of that," Viridi assured, summoning a column of light. That was when a figure resembling Pit had appeared, landing on his stomach. Only unlike Pit, his hair, tunic and pretty much most of his clothing were black, while his bow was silver.

"Oh, Pittoo!" Pit greeted, dodging one of Hades's projectiles. "I didn't know you worked for Viridi!"

"Ungh... How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?!" the dark angel growled, glaring at Pit when raising his head. "And I don't serve anyone but myself."

"That's not what you said when you came to me," Viridi scoffed.

"Only because I needed the Power of Flight," Dark Pit growled, finally getting up. "Just tell me what I need to do so I can just get this over with."

"Take care of the intruders."

"Whatever," Dark Pit rolled his eyes and eyed Hades fighting Pit. Then he looked at Maquano and smirked. "Who? Him? He should be no problem."

Dark Pit made a rush for Maquano, splitting his bow into two as he leaped forward to swing. The Demon Knight didn't have to look to draw his blaster and shoot him after yawning, knocking the dark angel on the floor once more. Afterward, he twirling his weapon before putting it away on his belt.

"Sorry, but I'm only here to watch the fight," Maquano stated, leaving Viridi agape.

"One...hit?!" Viridi gawked. "...Children! Focus all your attacks on that knight!"

"Little Quany Poo doesn't feel like fighting? Aw, that's too bad." Hades replied, dodging Pit's split bow swing. "It doesn't hurt to get a little exercise once in a while."

And that was when Maquano lost it.

"Don't...call me...QUANY POO!" Maquano roared, grabbing a Nutski and hurling it at Hades. He dodged it with little effort and let it hit the tree. Maquano then fired a black, crescent-shaped projectile from his sword at the rest of the Nutskis, wiping them out.

He summoned a large, dark portal afterward. The current was strong enough to suck Pit, Dark Pit, and Viridi toward it. As much as they tried to resist, the current was too strong for them, and they all screamed as the portal took them in.

 _"Pit!"_ Palutena cried as the portal closed.

Finally, Maquano approached Hades with a glare.

"We're leaving. _Now_." Maquano stated, summoning a dark portal behind him.

"Aw... You didn't have to ruin all the fun for me. I was just getting star- OOF!"

One kick had sent the God of the Underworld into the portal, leaving Maquano all alone.

"All right... So I have everyone that I need..." Maquano mumbled. "Now begins the second phase of my plan..."

With that, he stepped into the portal and exited this universe.

* * *

The six villains, along with their helpers, landed harshly on the floor, with a few landing on their feet, and the rest on their stomachs. As a few grumbled, they got a look at the room they were in. It was large, round, and the carpeting was a garnet color, while the walls were a black color. A few torches and chandeliers were around, giving them some form of light, and in the center was a large, round table with some large hovering chairs. On the round walls were a few red doors.

"Ugh... What is this place?" King Dedede grumbled, taking a look out the window. His eyes instantly widened when he saw a view of a large, fiery land with red rocks on the floor and plenty of lava. "What the... This isn't my castle!"

"And who's that fat penguin over there?" Bowser inquired.

"Fat? You don't know who you're talking to!" Escargon yelled, walking up to the Koopa King. "Even though he may be unsightly, his greed is unmatched! This is King Dedede-"

The next thing he knew, a hammer slammed down on the snail's head, leaving him in a daze.

"Who're you calling fat, ugly?" King Dedede growled, getting up close to the Koopa King.

"Ugly?! Oh, now you're making me mad..." Bowser roared, clenching a fist. "And when I get mad, I wanna punch something! Your big belly will do nicely!"

"Welcome to my castle," Maquano spoke, appearing above the table before the two could duke it out, while Camikon appeared by the corner. Remembering him, most of the villains gave a glare.

"You... What's the big idea kidnapping us like that?!" Bowser growled. " _I'm_ supposed to do the kidnapping here!"

"Don't be too mad. You at least have some company with you." the Demon Knight mentioned, pointing at Bowser Jr. and Kamek behind him.

"I don't like the looks of this place..." Cubot remarked, hiding behind Eggman, who had just stepped out of his robot.

"Definitely not my kind of décor..." Eggman commented, stroking his own mustache.

Just from looking outside, Ridley actually found himself silently chuckling.

"So... What's with the lava outside?" King Dedede questioned.

"Oh, we're just in my home, Tartamos. It's no planet, but we'll just say it's in its own dimension in my universe..."

"Well, care to explain why you felt the need to take us here?" Eggman inquired. "And where is that blue hedgehog? I was about to crush him until you showed up!"

"Don't worry about your enemies. They're elsewhere for now. Who knows? They might be dead!" Maquano laughed, landing on the table. "But I brought you all here to offer you something."

"An offer? You never mentioned this before, Quany." Hades commented.

"My whole life, I've done nothing but cause massive destruction to my own universe. I've destroyed many planets, but I knew that my destruction would be limited. That was, until I discovered the Silver Stars and their incredible power."

"Silver Stars? I've never heard of such a thing in my life." Eggman gawked.

"Because they don't commonly appear often. Usually ever millennium they fly through the multiverse. But luckily, I managed to discover them and make a plan to steal their power! This plan would be complete...but I can't do this alone. That's where you five come into play."

"So, what're you offering?" King Dedede questioned.

"Work with me, and I'll offer you the Silver Star's powers," Maquano said, clenching his right fist. "Not only that, but I'll grant you the power to teleport to any universe at will!"

"That's it? Quany Poo... Sometimes you disappoint me." Hades huffed. "No causing mischief? No playing tennis using Pitty Pat as a ball?"

"Well, I'm sure you've all had a hard time dealing with your archenemy like I have. With this power, you shouldn't have a problem dealing with them. It should grant you a few special abilities to boot too."

"And will this allow us to get what we've always wanted?" Bowser questioned, crossing his arms.

"Of course. You'll be guaranteed to take over your entire universe or many others that you wish. But you'll only get this if you choose to cooperate with me."

"Gwa ha ha ha! I bet this power isn't really anything special! I once conquered the universe myself! This probably won't do much in the slightest. Besides, why listen to someone who's smaller than everyone but that fat penguin?"

"But Dad! Maybe he's not lying! Didn't he survive your fire?" Bowser Jr. recalled.

"Well... Errr... Jr., this is an adult discussion!"

"But your son is right," Maquano smirked. "With the power of the Silver Stars, I can guarantee that you can send your minions wherever you want, along with enhancing your strength."

"Interesting..." Eggman pondered. "If what you say is correct, I can expand my Eggman Empire elsewhere!"

"Well if it'll help you not fail for once, I'd be up for it," Orbot remarked.

"I heard that..."

"All right, fine. I'll join you." King Dedede decided.

"Are you sure, Your Majesty?" Bandanna Waddle Dee asked.

"Yeah! I want the entire universe to know of me and my undying greed!"

"I suppose I'll join as well," Eggman stated, approaching Maquano and King Dedede. "If I'm capable of increasing the strength of my creations, then stopping Sonic should be easy!"

"Bah, fine..." Bowser grumbled, joining the group. "Even though I don't need no stinkin' power, I might as well take it."

"I do like the sound of becoming stronger," Hades smirked, going up to the group. "Now all we need is that ugly-looking dragon to join in, right?"

"He's probably too big to join us," Bowser scoffed.

"Well, I can grow fifty times bigger than all of you... It's the blessing of such a _handsome_ god such as myself."

Ridley glared at the group as he roared in their faces. Maquano approached the large dragon and clamped his mouth shut with his right hand, stopping the monster's roar.

"I know my power won't let you speak... But I'm sure you'd like you cause more destruction, just like me." Maquano grinned. "Just think about it... You and your minions can spread more misery outside of your universe. And it might take a lot for that enemy of yours to even stop you."

Once Maquano released his grip and stepped back, Ridley had taken the time to ponder over this. Eventually he stepped toward the group and nodded.

"Good. At least you are intelligent enough to understand." Maquano chuckled, and Ridley wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or not. "Now then..."

Opening his hands, black energy began to fire out and shoot out toward the five villains. All of them winced at this sudden surge of energy, but by the time they were done, they took a look at their hands.

"Whoa..." Bowser gaped. "I don't know why... But I'm feeling stronger already!"

Opening his mouth, a beam of fire had shot out and hit the wall, creating a hole.

"Lord Maquano! He just made a hole in the wall!" Camikon yelled.

"Aw, yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"See? I told you I wasn't bluffing." Maquano smirked. "Now that we got that out of the way... Let's start our third and final phase... So, why don't you all come with me?"

"What for?" King Dedede questioned.

"Well... I've gotten to see your universes and your archenemies... Why don't I show you _mine_?" Maquano chuckled darkly.

The others also gave a dark grin as Maquano teleported out of the castle, while they followed afterward.

* * *

 **You have no idea how much I enjoy writing Hades... Believe it or not, he originally wasn't going to be in this story. But because I really enjoyed Kid Icarus: Uprising, I had to add that franchise into this story.**

 **Another thing I should mention... While Mario is silent, he will say a few small things like he does in the games. As for Bowser... I'm trying to mix his personality from the main series games and the Mario & Luigi games (mainly Bowser's Inside Story). And while there are some characters that appear from spin-off titles (Paper Mario), they're not the same as they were in the paper universe. I'll still keep them in character, but don't expect them all to know Mario.**

 **Anyway, with that out of the way... Next chapter is the last part of the prologue, and for those concerned about the length, it'll be _much_ shorter than this and the previous chapter. In fact, this is as long as it's going to get at the moment.**


	3. Chopper's Birthday Surprise

**I think we had enough chapters focusing on the bad guys... Let's get to our main character!**

* * *

Chapter 3: Chopper's Birthday Surprise

A small figure had let out a yawn as he jumped out of his bed. Walking over to the light switch, he flipped it, lighting up the bedroom. Not much was in this room, only having a pale yellow carpet, white walls, a mirror, and a bed with a green blanket on it.

Eventually the figure had approached the mirror to get a reflection of himself. There, he saw his pale green, spherical-shaped body and head. He also got a look at his oval-shaped black eyes, along with the white gloves with sock cuffs on his short arms. The figure lifted one of his forest green, round feet off the ground as well. Then he looked on the top of his head, which had two antennae that curved back at an arc.

Though not much had changed much from his appearance from six years ago, his antennae were an exception. While they may have been short back then, they certainly have grown longer.

Though he wasn't well-known on his planet, there were a few that knew him as Chopper of Clara. But today in particular, Chopper was smiling with more excitement than before.

"This is it!" Chopper cheered. "It's finally my tenth birthday!"

He made a run out of the room into a small hallway and then down the stairs. To his left, there was a living room with an HD TV sitting on a table, a black Wii U, and across from the TV was a red sofa. The right, meanwhile, had a kitchen and another small room in the distance.

Chopper went over to the living room for a second to get a look at the table. There were three things sitting there. One was silver hilt in an open, green case, the second was a photo of Chopper and two other taller figures in a frame, and right beside that was a small, yellow star.

"Since it's my birthday... I might use this just for the heck of it." Chopper decided, taking the star and putting it away. "It's always fun to use a Super Star!"

After that, Chopper had opened the front door and left his house that resembled a mushroom with a red top containing several white polka dots and a white stalk containing a few windows. There, he was greeted with the luscious, green jungle that was surrounding him. Except here, everything was giant, save for some of the grass around his house. Though the sky was difficult to see through all the leaves, vines, and trees, it was safe to assume that dawn had finally come.

Chopper had run over to the left side of his house and stopped right in front of two gravestones. Both had poorly-written words carved on it, and a few parts of the stone had broken off.

"Mommy! Daddy! Today's the day!" Chopper smiled. "I'm ten years old! I don't know what my birthday wish is... But maybe I'll find out later!"

Though the two gravestones were silent, Chopper had stepped away from them.

"Well... See you both tomorrow!" the antennae boy gave them one last wave before running ahead. "I guess it's time to warm myself up!"

Stretching his arms, Chopper made a run into the depths of Colossal Jungle. Despite the lack of legs, he was fast. _Really_ fast.

Six years had certainly done a lot to improve Chopper's abilities. His speed had increased drastically, and he had a better focused of what was around him while running. A few branches, for example, were up ahead. Some Chopper easily hopped over, while others he slid underneath.

Eventually Chopper had run into a slightly more open area of the jungle with several giant trees and leaves surrounding him. The terrain had undergone a massive change, with an incline heading straight down.

Chopper smiled as he threw his arms back, clenched his fists, and started running down the long path. The further he ran down the hill, the faster he went. This helped him run through the conveniently-placed shuttle loop that was at the bottom of the hill. He ran through it, then he was launched off a green wedge with a thick black stripe covering most of the top with three, yellow arrows pointing forward called a Dash Ramp.

Landing on solid ground, Chopper found another incline going down to a small, upward curve. Past that was a much larger curve. Despite being able to run up the smaller curve, going up the other was an issue due to the lack of enough speed.

"Hey... Maybe I can use my Star Boost to get up there much faster!" Chopper smiled, and he immediately concentrated energy into him. A green aura surrounded him as he charged up, and when he was fully charged, he blasted off, going up the curved path and landing on higher ground. "Yay! Using that is always fun!"

Things had slowed down thanks to the high ledge ahead, and though Chopper attempted to jump up, he couldn't grab a hold of the ledge.

"Ummm... I think a Triple Jump might help me here!"

Chopper took a few steps back, and when he ran toward the ledge, he jumped in the air. Once he landed, he jumped once more, getting some extra height. The third jump, however, involved him performing a somersault in the air, along with giving him more height. This allowed him to land on the taller surface and proceed onward.

His next obstacle had a small pit before him, with the main path ahead. In between him and the small pit was a giant leaf sticking out of the tree acting like a platform. Since the pit was small, it was pretty easy to escape.

"This looks easy! ...But maybe I can use a Star Jump to get a little height." Chopper pondered. "I know it can hit enemies too..."

Chopper jumped toward the leaf and performed a Star Jump while in midair, which involved him performing another somersault. It also surrounded him in several sparkles as well. This acted like a jump, giving him some extra height. While it wasn't much to go over the highest of ledges, it was helpful in giving him more control in air.

Once he landed on the platform, Chopper jumped back to the main path and found two more leaf platforms over a pit. Unlike the previous, the distance between the two was bigger.

"A Long Jump can help me get through this!" Chopper smiled, running toward the edge and throwing himself forward. This Long Jump helped him reach the other platform, then he used it again to go to the other platform, and eventually the main path ahead. This led him to another wall, only now there was an opening that looked pretty narrow. "It's Wall Jump time!"

To get some extra height, Chopper had used his Backward Somersault ability to do a backflip in the air. When he touched the wall, he latched onto it with his two feet and one hand while slowly beginning to slide down. He took the opportunity to jump up to the other wall while getting some more height. This repeated until he got to the top.

While he could've simply went toward the main path ahead, Chopper spotted a few more leaf platforms hanging from the side. Considering how high they were off the ground, he decided to perform another somersault jump. Only this time, he quickly made a sharp turn back to jump, resulting in his Side Somersault.

Though there wasn't much on this leaf, there was a small fruit sitting there. Chopper opened his mouth and, suddenly the fruit was sucked into his mouth like a vacuum.

"Yummy!" Chopper smiled, jumping off the leaf and proceeding on ahead. There were a few turns he had run into, so Chopper had drifted in those directions, all the while maintaining his momentum.

Eventually the paths stopped curving around, and Chopper found another high ledge ahead. However, in front of him was a forest green Spring with a yellow star in the center leading up to a small vine curving down and then up like a ramp. Chopper decided to launch up to the vine via the Spring, and once his feet made contact with it, he started to put his grinding skills to use. He was able to increase his speed down by clenching his two fists and pushing himself forward.

The moment Chopper was at the end of the vine, he had leaped off and landed on higher ground. There, he was greeted by a black creature with a round head sporting red eyes shaped like a circle and an antenna with a red, round bulb on the top. Its oval-shaped body was separate from the head, as was its pointy, four-fingered hands.

"A Darkling? Geez... Even when Maquano's gone, they still try to cause trouble..." Chopper frowned, but he eventually smiled. "But I can take care of them with no problems, especially if I use my Inhale on them!"

The Darkling made its move first by firing a red ball of energy his way. Chopper was able to inhale the projectile and spit it at the enemy in the shape of a yellow star. Getting thrown back, it exploded into white dust as it hit the floor, along with creating four stars that immediately disappeared.

"Take that, Darkling! You can't stop my Star Spit!"

But that Darkling wasn't the only one there. On two leaf platforms, Chopper spotted two Darklings firing more red energy his way. He sped to the side to avoid it, then he jumped onto the closest platform. After dodging another projectile, Chopper had brought his two feet down on the Darkling to take it out with one stomp. He then leaped over to the other leaf to inhale the last one, then he spat it out.

Chopper ran ahead afterward while sliding across the ground. This created a green field around him while kicking forward along the ground. Thanks to his sliding, he was able to go underneath a few vines in the way until he reached a path forming a corkscrew. He sped through that, then he went up a curved path leading to four Darklings blocking the way.

"Four of these guys? Well... I guess I might as well take them out with a Star Dash!"

Clenching his fists, Chopper had thrown himself forward with all his might, leaving behind a green trail, along with many sparkles. All of the Darklings' eyes widened in shock Chopper had come their way with a green aura shaped like a comet surrounding him. They were immediately thrown back as a result and wiped out.

Chopper's aura had cleared away the moment he passed them, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Good thing I can do that. Not only does it give me a boost of speed while running and in the air, but those jerks aren't going to do much to me when I'm charging! ...I just wish it could last a little longer. But I guess that's why my Star Boost is much better at speeding up and lasting longer. ...Too bad I have to stand still for that."

Nevertheless, Chopper carried on ahead. He noticed two trees had been knocked over ahead and were cut in half, while the path itself was curving toward the right one. Though he had to wonder what caused this, Chopper ran onto the right log. He noticed that the end didn't reach the other side fully, but good thing he could leap to the left log across while maintaining his speed!

When he reached the other side, Chopper noticed a steep hill ahead, so he made a long and quick run down. There were a few Darklings waiting for him, so he prepared to charge into them. That was, until he tripped on a small rock and started tumbling down. Despite that, this was able to take out the Darklings.

"Geez... That was dumb of me..." Chopper mumbled as he stood up and rubbed his head. "Well... At least it took them out... But I don't think I can control myself that easily... Maybe if I was sliding or using my Slide Kick, it'd be a different story... I know I could use a Foot Sweep too while on the ground, but I think it works better when I'm not moving so much..."

After quickly shaking his head, Chopper charged up a Star Boost and proceeded toward the small ledges he jumped up.

Jumping onto each made it difficult to stay fast, and once he had grabbed a ledge and pulled himself up. There was a gate that was closed, and beside it was a blue button sticking out of the floor.

"I think I can handle this with a Super Stomp," Chopper said, jumping onto the blue button. When he went into the air, a green field appeared around him as he slammed the button with his feet. A small, green shockwave surrounded him from the impact, and the button had suddenly got pushed in. With that, the gate was open, revealing debris behind. A simple Star Dash let him plow through that and continue on.

When he finally passed that area, Chopper decided to slow down for once and walk over to a large tree.

"Well that was something..." Chopper remarked, plopping down against a tree and letting out a sigh. "I can't believe it's been six years since I've been saving Clara and other worlds around... I guess that makes me special, right?"

His antennae suddenly perked up to the sound of something coming his way. Jumping away from the tree, an explosion had appeared in where Chopper originally stood.

"What the heck was that?!" Chopper gawked.

"Drat! I missed! And it was the perfect opportunity too!"

Chopper looked in the direction of the voice, and floating in the air was a figure with a shape just like his.

"Robo Chopper!"

Yeah, it was him all right. Only now, instead of a silver color scheme like he had six years ago, his design has certainly undergone massive improvements. The top and bottom part of his head was now painted a lime color, while the rest was black, which certainly made his two, oval-shaped blue eyes pop out more. He sported blue shoulder pads where his lime, short arms were slightly below. His hands sporting pointy fingers was painted silver, and his green feet were slightly pointy compared to Chopper's. Like him, he had two antennae curving back, and on the back of his body were blue thrusters.

"That's Robotex to you, Chopper!" Robotex replied. "I don't need to be known as your robot copy when I can be something even better!"

"Well... You still look like a robot version of me!" Chopper countered.

"Did you miss me, Chopper?" Robotex chuckled, ignoring Chopper's remark. "My voice sounds much better, don't you think? Better than what it was like when I was first made..."

"Yeah... But why are you here? It's my birthday, and I just want to be happy..."

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to exterminate you."

"You tried that three times... And I always won."

"But that was the past. I'm managed to make some improvements on myself _without_ that useless Demon Knight's help!"

"Didn't you say the first thing the last time we fought?" Chopper pondered. "I don't know, I'm not the best at remembering..."

Robotex gave him an annoyed look before transforming one of his hands into a blaster. Blue shots suddenly began to fire out, causing Chopper to yelp and run away.

"Don't think you're getting away from me, Chopper!" Robotex exclaimed. "Not only do I have your abilities, but I have a few new moves to boot!"

He flew after Chopper and started dropping several bombs below. They exploded, releasing fire geysers. Chopper had dodged each one while looking up at Robotex. He fired more shots, making his opponent leap in the air. When Chopper saw his chance, he charged into him with his Star Dash and knocked him on the floor.

To do some additional damage, Chopper jumped above his robot counterpart to deliver a Super Stomp. Robotex was quick to throw him off, but Chopper used another Star Dash; only this time, he was able to speed away with it.

"Don't think you're the only one with that kind of ability," Robotex stated, speeding off in the same manner as Chopper for a second. "My Robo Dash should be more than a match for your inferior organic version!"

Despite Chopper going as fast as he could, Robotex was able to catch up to him in no time, his blue, fiery aura appearing in the shape of a comet. It didn't help that he had just run into a dead end ahead.

"Oh, crud..." Chopper frowned, coming to a sudden halt.

"Now that you won't be going anywhere... Allow me to finish what should've ended long ago!" Robotex declared, his fists clenched as his body started to shake. "I think it's time for something that should not only wipe you out, but your entire jungle as well!"

"What?! Not my home!" Chopper cried. "And on my birthday!"

"Farewell, Chopper- ACK!"

Chopper had blinked in bewilderment as Robotex had been thrown to the ground by a sudden attack.

"Ugh... Who did that?!"

"Oh, just an old friend," Maquano chuckled, appearing in between the two.

"Maquano?!" Chopper gasped. "But... I destroyed you... _three times_!"

Maquano ignored Chopper for now and brought his attention to his robot counterpart. "I see you've gotten a few changes since I last saw you... What a shame that you left me. I could've done _so_ much more for you."

"You were just holding me back from eliminating Chopper..." Robotex grumbled as he slowly stood up. "But now I don't need you anymore, because I've learned much more on my own. And I'll prove it now by destroying you as well!"

As Robotex charged, Maquano yawned as he summoned a dark portal that sucked him in. Despite his resistance, it wasn't enough to escape from the portal. It wasn't long until Robotex was out of their sights.

"What was that he just did...?" Chopper whispered, and then Maquano's eyes were set on him, forcing the hero into a fighting stance. "Hey! What are you doing back again?!"

"I told you, Chopper... Even when you try to destroy me, I'll always come back." Maquano grinned. "But now all of that is going to change."

"That's not stopping me!" Chopper declared, charging into him with a Star Dash. Maquano vanished from his sights and appeared right behind the antennae boy. Chopper quickly turned around and used another Star Dash. This time, Maquano swiftly drew his blaster fired a shot that knocked him onto the grass. "Huh? What was that?"

"Oh, just a new weapon that I've got. I call it Darkness, as it's the last thing someone sees before I shoot them. ...Oh, and let's not forget about this!" Maquano summoned Dark Oblivion into his hand, which he proceeded to swing as Chopper got up. Lucky for him, he managed to avoid the attack. "See? You're not the only one who can use laser swords! If you hadn't broken my other sword, I wouldn't have thought to upgrade my weapon! Now Oblivion has become Dark Oblivion! So, thank you, Chopper... Thank you for giving me a reason to get stronger!"

"You're...welcome?" Chopper replied, bewilderment on his face.

"And that's not the only thing that's new," the Demon Knight stated, his blaster vanishing into sparkles. "Throughout the years while I was alive and dead, I've been planning on how to get the power from these powerful entities called the Silver Stars. And now that I've finally put that plan to work, their power is mine!"

"Silver...Stars?"

"Yes. They're much stronger than any energy that you've absorbed from a red or yellow star."

"Well... I don't care!" Chopper declared, glaring at the Demon Knight. "I've beaten you a few times, and I can do it again!"

"I wouldn't bet on it," Maquano chuckled. "And besides... I'm not alone this time!"

Chopper's eyes widened when five more figures had teleported. Not just because four out of five were bigger than Maquano, but because they looked incredibly different from anyone he had ever encountered. Almost...out of place.

"Huh? Who are these people?"

"Wait a second... You're telling me that THIS is your greatest nemesis?" Bowser asked, appearing slack-jawed. "He's even smaller than you! I'd just have to sit on this thing to win!"

"I don't know about you, but he reminds me of a gumball," Hades remarked. "A nice, chewy gumball with plenty of flavor."

"He is a rather...strange specimen," Eggman remarked. "But nothing too threatening. Though, admittedly, I'm disappointed that this is your enemy, Maquano..."

"His size also reminds me of that Kirby," King Dedede commented, his teeth grinding just thinking of that. "And it just makes me _mad_!"

"These...radically different people from me are assisting me with my plans," Maquano introduced. "They, too, also have the power from the Silver Stars."

Ridley let out a ferocious roar in response, which was enough to force Chopper backwards without even moving.

"It's also a coincidence that the day I get the power from the Silver Stars is also your birthday. So, why don't we consider this your surprise party, Chopper?"

"A surprise party? You never mentioned anything about a birthday..." Eggman realized.

"Wait... So you're just here to say happy birthday to me?" Chopper gawked.

"Of course," Maquano chuckled, though that alone was unnerving to Chopper. "So, you're ten, is that correct? Well, I hear from many places that people give birthday punches. ...Except why don't we replace that with a birthday beating? Ten beatings, with the last one being your death!"

"Birthday beating? Looks like someone's speaking my language." Hades grinned devilishly. "Too bad I didn't bring my Devastation Ensemble. It would've shaken things up for our birthday boy."

"Wait... So you brought us here just for us to beat this kid down?" Bowser asked, his surprised look changing to a grin. "I like it! I should do this to Mario the next time he has a birthday!"

"Heh heh, I'm going to love this," Eggman chuckled, his Egg Mobile flying into his Egg Destroyer. "And with my new powers combined with my creation, I'll be unstoppable!"

"I call the first hit!" King Dedede declared, raising his hammer.

"The first hit's mine," Maquano stated, summoning his sword. "He's my archenemy, so I get the first hit...and the last."

"Wh-What?! N-No... I'm not going to let you take me down!" Chopper stammered.

Maquano flew toward Chopper and delivered a swing, but the antennae boy was able to leap out of harm's way and stomp on his head. While he was in the air after bouncing off, the Demon Knight summoned his blaster and started firing a few shots above. Using a Star Jump, Chopper was able to move himself in the air to dodge the shots. However, once he landed, Maquano was able to freeze Chopper in place for a moment, then he sent him flying away with one sword strike.

"There we go! That's one hit so far!"

Chopper managed to land on his two feet while skidding back, but he didn't have time to stand there when King Dedede swung his hammer. Jumping out of the way, a yellow star appeared where he struck his hammer. Inhaling it, he spat it at the king, who had ducked in shock.

"Whoa... What?! That's something Kirby can do!" King Dedede gaped. "And that makes me wanna clobber you even more!"

King Dedede continued to bash his hammer down in Chopper's direction, but each time he swung, the small hero would dodge with little issues. Then Chopper was caught off guard when King Dedede opened his mouth and started inhaling. Luckily, he jumped back in time before getting sucked in.

"As you can see... You're not the only one who can pull off something like that. And I know how to handle someone with an ability like that!" King Dedede smirked, and with one hammer swing, Chopper was thrown back toward one of the trees. "That counts as the second hit!"

Eggman had come in next with his Egg Destroyer. It started firing its guns, forcing Chopper to speed away from the shots.

"His speed reminds me of that meddlesome hedgehog," Eggman gawked. "But no matter... I'm capable of handling a fast enemy!"

When the Egg Destroyer stopped firing, Chopper had leaped in the air, and with a Star Dash, charged into the machine. Eggman smirked as he pressed a button, causing a small laser to suddenly fire out and encase Chopper in a barrier. Next thing he knew, the Egg Destroyer fired a missile that threw him to the floor and destroyed the barrier.

"Heh heh! That makes three hits!" Eggman cackled.

Ridley was the next villain to approach Chopper. With how long his tail was, he simply had to swing it around to attack, but to his surprise, the antennae boy landed on the tail and started to grind across it like a rail. He jumped off so he was above the space dragon's head, then proceeded to use a Super Stomp.

A smirk was cast on Ridley's face as he flew back to avoid the hit, then opened his mouth to shoot a fireball that created a small shockwave when hitting the ground. The others had just barely gotten hit, and they gave him a glare. Chopper, meanwhile, had jumped when the attack came, but Ridley had swooped down to grab the small hero. Flying in the air, he dove down to slam Chopper onto the floor. The impact left him lying on the ground dazed.

As Ridley let out a victorious roar for his fourth hit, Bowser had jumped in and slammed his fist where Chopper was. He managed to get out of his daze and jump back. The Koopa King started breathing fireballs, making Chopper dodge each one until he was close enough, then he leaped forward to land a stomp. Bowser hid in his shell, causing Chopper's eyes to widen. A Star Jump helped him force himself back just before he could step on that spiky shell.

"This is going to be easy!" Bowser cackled, standing up. "That annoying plumber always fought with jumps! You should be even easier!"

Chopper jumped out of the way as Bowser charged at him fist first, but when he landed, the Koopa King made a sharp turn backwards and landed a punch. The hero was thrown toward a tree, while Bowser let out a cackle.

"Gwa ha ha ha! I'm so good at this!" Bowser cackled. "That's the fifth hit!"

"Now now, you boys don't need to hog the beat down to yourselves," Hades stepped in, cracking his knuckles. "Especially when this god has just been revived several hours ago."

Once Hades approached the antennae boy, Chopper went into a fighting stance as he leaped forward to charge at him with a Star Dash. Hades teleported out of the way, then appeared right behind Chopper. Before he could slam his two hands on him, Chopper jumped and landed on them.

"A quick little one, aren't you? Either this can be troublesome...or entertaining." Hades commented, giving Chopper his creepy, sadistic grin. "Of course for you, little Choppy... I'm going to enjoy every moment of your birthday beating."

"H-Hey! My name's Chopper, not Choppy!" Chopper exclaimed, jumping off his fists to attack with an axe kick. Hades blocked this and threw in another punch. He dodged Hades's fist, and when landing on the ground, used his Slide Kick to go in for another attack. But Hades merely kicked him and knocked the antennae boy toward a tree.

"Oh, I just LOVE playing soccer! No god has ever bested me in soccer...or any sport in that matter. That makes six! Five more, and you'll be finished! I just can't WAIT to get my hands on your soul! Just THINK of what I can use it for!"

"As if I'd let you do that, Hades. He's mine." Maquano scoffed, firing dark balls of magic Chopper's way. The other villains joined in on their assault, leaving Chopper completely overwhelmed. It wasn't long until he received several more blows that left him lying on the ground exhausted. "And that's ten hits. So, Chopper... Ready to finish this?"

"Ungh... No... I can't just lose like this..." Chopper trailed, slowly getting up and panting. The villains, meanwhile, grinned evilly as they were ready to land the finishing plow. Chopper remembered the Super Star he had and pulled it out. "I don't want you hurting other people, you jerks!"

Maquano's eyes widened as Chopper raised the small star and released it, causing it to shine. The Super Star began to glow brightly as it started circling around him until finally shooting into his body. Upon absorbing it, his skin had changed to yellow, while his feet were a dark yellow. Most notably, sparkles covered his body while surrounding him was a smooth, yellow aura.

"What the heck is this?" King Dedede gawked.

"Super Star Chopper..." Maquano replied, though his voice seemed calm. "Well this is a surprise..."

"It reminds me of that hedgehog's Super form..." Eggman recalled. "Not that it matters. We can still destroy him!"

"No you won't!" Chopper exclaimed, opening his hand and firing a barrage of glowing yellow stars. The Egg Destroyer suddenly found itself getting pushed back from the onslaught before Chopper impaled its body by charging into it faster than before with a Super Star Dash. To Eggman, it looked like a yellow comet had suddenly struck the mech.

"Wh-What?! My creation!" Eggman cried.

Ridley let out a roar as he shot a giant fireball Chopper's way. In response, he opened his mouth and started inhaling. Only this time, his inhaling had a greater range, along with greater strength. The fireball was easily sucked into his mouth, and then he spat it back at Ridley, only it was made up of light energy. Ridley screamed in pain as he was thrown to the ground.

"Bah! That giant dragon's fire is nothing compared to mine!" Bowser scoffed, breathing as much fire at Chopper. But much like Ridley, his was easily inhaled and fired back, forcing Bowser back.

"Take this!" King Dedede yelled, leaping in the air to bring his hammer down. Chopper flew out of harm's way, then he fired a small beam of light that threw the king on his back.

"Well, this is an interesting twist," Hades remarked nonchalantly. "But still, it's not going to stop me."

Hades started firing purple projectiles from his eyes, which Chopper easily destroyed with a few Light Stars. Then Hades teleported and attempted to slam his two hands on him again. Except this time, Chopper was faster, impaling his body with another Super Star Dash.

"Augh!" Hades grunted, placing a hand over his chest area. Suddenly, his grin had faded away, and his right fist started to shake. "Oh, Choppy... You shouldn't have done that... You don't wanna see me when I'm angry..."

Hades started to throw in multiple punches, but Chopper quickly had the upper hand, landing a kick to his jaw then firing a light beam that threw him toward the others. With them dazed briefly, he turned to Maquano.

"All right, I'm coming for you next, Maquano!" Chopper declared. "And I'm gonna end it quickly!"

Charging at Maquano, the Demon Knight smirked as his body was enveloped in darkness. When the darkness cleared, his body lost all its armor and became entirely black, with three spiky protrusions sticking out of his head, with the middle being shorter. Two large, curved spiky protrusions had also came out of his back, and two, glowing red eyes were present, along with a red mouth. Surrounding him was a purple and black aura flowing upward.

 _ **"Oh... But we haven't finished your birthday beating yet!"**_ Maquano grinned.

With one dark beam, Chopper was thrown back and onto the floor face-first. All of the power from the Super Star had faded away, leaving him as his normal self.

The other villains, meanwhile, were watching in awe at Maquano's sudden transformation.

"Whoa... So what's with that transformation?" King Dedede questioned.

Eventually darkness enveloped Maquano, and as it cleared in less than a second, he was back to his Knight form.

"I didn't think I'd have to change to my Demon form..." Maquano mumbled, looking down at the motionless Chopper. "But now the job is complete... Chopper is officially gone."

"You sure about that?" Eggman asked.

"Yes. His body isn't moving in the slightest. I could just disintegrate him... But leaving him like that at least makes his body suffer."

"I'll admit, he did put up a decent fight," Hades remarked. "But too bad for little Choppy... He was no match for us in the end."

"Anyway, I think I'm done being on this planet. I suppose I'll send one of my commanders to clean out this world of its inhabitants."

"Maybe I'll send in my pet to burn down this jungle," the God of the Underworld grinned. "This would look SO much better as a wasteland."

"Hey, if there's food here, then I'll be more than happy to take it!" King Dedede added.

"We'll eat when we head back to Tartamos," Maquano declared. "I think it's time we celebrated."

The others smiled at the thought of that, and as Maquano teleported, the rest followed.


	4. A Hero's Comeback

Chapter 4: A Hero's Comeback

A few hours had passed since the brutal assault on Chopper, and now the sun was hovering above the sky. Despite the six villains' attack, it was as if nothing had happened.

But then a dark portal had appeared out of thin air, and a dull gray figure had fired out and was falling into the jungle.

Although the landing was harsh, the figure was able to get up, not feeling too injured in the slightest. It was revealed to be shaped like a star, although it seemed to be more animate compared to most stars.

It looked around to get a view of its surroundings, but the star's attention was quickly drawn to Chopper's body lying on the ground.

"Huh? Who's that?" the star questioned, its voice sounding high-pitched and feminine. She had flown over to Chopper and took a look at him. "I think he's alive...but I don't know for how long."

The star pondered for a moment as she stared down at him. An idea struck her mind, and although the idea wasn't bad... There was also the fact that she needed this power to herself as well, especially with her current state.

"...But I can't just leave him like this," the star mumbled. "I can't do much on my own either, so it's not like it matters... But the others might not like this..."

Placing her hands on Chopper, her body started to glow white, which began to transfer to the hero.

When she was done, the star stepped away from Chopper as the glow faded away. A few seconds later, his fingers moved, and he eventually managed to get up.

"Ungh... What the heck was I doing here?" Chopper wondered, rubbing his head in pain. Though it took a few seconds for the gears in his head to function, it had made his eyes widen. "Wait... Maquano's back... And he's got some other bad guys with him! Then he beat me up and... Hold on, why do I feel so much better?"

"That's because of me," the star spoke, and Chopper's attention was drawn to her.

"Huh? Who are you?"

"I'm...a Silver Star! Well, I'm the newest of the twenty. You can call me Silvera." Silvera greeted with uncertainty in her voice.

"Oh... Well my name's Chopper! Chopper of Clara!"

"Chopper? Hold on... That evil Demon Knight is your archenemy, isn't he?"

"Yeah... And he beat me up real bad." Chopper said with a frown, but he immediately looked at the Silver Star with optimism. "...Thanks for healing me!"

"Well, I had to do something... Oh, if only the others were here. They'd know much more about you."

"Wait... They know me? How?"

"It's kind of a long story..."

"I'm not good with those," Chopper frowned. "Maybe we should go back to my house. I don't think there's much to do here."

"That sounds like a good idea," Silvera nodded. "Along the way, I can explain to you what's going on!"

Nodding Chopper made a run off back to his house, with the Silver Star following behind. Surprisingly, she was doing a decent job at keeping up.

* * *

The way back to Chopper's house was not long, but at least he had some company to join him. At the moment, Silvera had explained the whole story of what was going on, starting from when Maquano first invaded their sanctuary. She even went on about how she first became a Silver Star too.

"...And that's what's going on," Silvera finished, just as they arrived on Chopper's property. When she looked at him, however, the Silver Star blinked in surprised when she noticed he wasn't paying too much attention. "Hey! Were you even listening to me?!"

Chopper's eyes quickly blinked as he looked at the irritated star and nodded.

"Hmmm... OK... Anyway, since you're, well, a hero and all, I could at least use your help for now."

"You want me to help you get back home?" Chopper asked.

"Well, that's not possible even with you around. Plus, I don't have much power, let alone enough to get me back home."

"You don't have much power?" Chopper look at her for a moment out of curiosity. "Is that why you're not really silver?"

"Pretty much. If my power was restored, I'd be much brighter. But I think the only way I'd be able to get home is if there was another Silver Star. ...If only another one was somewhere around here."

As she started to ponder, the sound of an airplane caught their attention. The two looked far in the distance as they caught sight of a gray airplane through a few of the leaves and vines.

"Hey... That's Flyer!" Chopper smiled.

"Flyer?" Silvera raised an eyebrow.

"He's my best friend, and he's really smart and stuff! I think he came here to say happy birthday to me."

Chopper's optimism hadn't lasted long, though. When something suddenly struck the plane, it started to crash further into the jungle.

"Flyer!" Chopper gasped, his eyes widening in shock.

"Oh..." Silvera commented, unsure of what else to say.

"Hang on, Flyer! I'm coming to help you!" the antennae boy declared, making a run north from his house and toward the location of the crash.

"Wait! Hold on!" Silvera cried, flying after him.

* * *

Now that he was done with his warming up, it was time for Chopper to get serious. He started off by running through the path surrounded by several leaves and trees. The terrain itself was mainly flat, so it was just like a normal run.

Eventually the terrain changed after running through a few leaves in the way. The path started to curve up, and as he ran up the curve, he landed in front of a few more Darklings. Up ahead was a tree with an entryway.

The moment the Darklings hurled red energy balls his way, Chopper opened his mouth to inhale them. With all three in his mouth, he spat out a much larger star that not only struck through the front Darkling, but also wiped out the rest behind.

As they exploded into dust, Chopper blinked in surprise when a few shiny star-shaped objects fell. Most were red, but a few others were orange too.

"Huh? What're those?"

"Whew... I finally caught up with you..." Silvera sighed, finally reaching Chopper. "Maybe you should... Wait, are those Starries?"

"Starries? What're they?"

"In my world, it is considered to be a currency. Though, it makes no sense that they'd be here of all places to be collected... The Silver Stars would have to be in really bad shape for them to-" Silvera stopped herself when she blinked in realization. "Oh, that explains it."

"Oh... Well, I guess I'll take them!" Chopper smiled, quickly grabbing the Starries on the floor.

 _ **Item: Starry**_

 _ **This currency is only known in one place, and it can transform into other kinds of money too. A red Starry is worth one, an orange five, yellow ten, white twenty, pale blue fifty, blue one hundred, and rainbow two hundred.**_

"I guess I should keep going..."

"Wait, hold on," Silvera spoke up, causing Chopper to stop in place. "Let's make this a little easier."

The Silver Star flew right into Chopper, making her disappear via a few sparkles. He closed his eyes tightly, expecting pain. Surprisingly, there was none of that, so he decided to roll with it and continued on.

With an extra boost via his Star Dash, Chopper was able to run up the small hill and reach the entryway of the tree. There, he found a Spring going up to a foothold sticking out on the opposite side of the interior. He launched himself up there and found a wooden pole sticking out. Grabbing it, Chopper climbed up before finding another foothold behind him. He jumped onto that, then found a red Zip Line that brought him back to solid ground below.

A high ledge was ahead, but thankfully there were a few leaf platforms to help get up there. On one of the platforms, however, was a Tartara slightly bigger than him. Its armor was small, along with the arm blaster it held in its right hand. Unlike some Tartara Soldiers, it didn't have any wings, and its tail was very short.

"Tartara Grunts? Well this should be easy for me." Chopper smiled, dodging the purple shots it fired at him. He jumped on one of the platforms and then leaped toward the Tartara Grunt. One stomp had made it explode into dust. Afterward, he jumped up to pull himself up from the ledge and carried on.

Well, he would've, had he not found a small, glowing spherical-shaped object embedded with a star, which had a spectrum glow floating in front of him.

"Huh?" Chopper grabbed the object and got a closer look. "What's this?"

"Hmmmm?" Silvera flew out of Chopper to take a look at the object. "Oh! The other Silver Stars once mentioned something like that! It's called Hyper Energy. They're all over the multiverse, and they're pretty rare to find!"

"Hyper Energy? So... Can I eat it?" Chopper wondered, opening his mouth.

"No! Don't!" Silvera cried, making Chopper stop. "They don't do much on their own... But they say if you find all 120 of them, a great fortune will come your way."

"Oh... So I guess I should hold onto it!" Chopper smiled, holding up the Hyper Energy.

 _ **Item: Hyper Energy  
**_

 _ **A small piece of energy that doesn't do much on its own, but with all 120, something good should happen! You should be able to find six in each new world you explore!**_

"If there's more of these, then I'm definitely going to get them if something good comes out of it!" Chopper smiled, putting away the Hyper Energy. "Hey, wait... What did you just do before?"

"Huh? ...Oh, you mean when I flew into you? Well... I don't know if I'm actually going into you. I just materialize within a body in order to see what's going on from their point of view. It doesn't affect you in any way. In fact... It's very harmless. I'll still be able to talk to you and anyone else too. It's just because you're so fast, I might have trouble keeping up with you..."

"Oh... OK!"

For now, he put away the Hyper Energy, while Silvera flew back into Chopper. With that, he charged up a Star Boost before firing forward. He had found a vine ahead, so he leaped toward it to land. Upon grinding along it, he had gone down a small slope and onto the ground. Up ahead, Chopper spotted a figure with a gray head, yellow eyes, and an orange, pointy wizard hat curving back. It also sported a red robe, and its right hand had an arm cannon firing a line of orange energy.

"Oh... These guys must be new." Chopper commented. "But that attack must mean they have an ability for me!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Silvera questioned as she flew out of Chopper, only for her eyes to widen when he opened his mouth and inhaled the Wizzam. "What the heck?!"

And then he swallowed the enemy, and in a quick flash, Chopper's appearance had suddenly changed, particular on his head. There, he found a jester hat with a white, jagged rim and three branches. The left side was yellow, the middle was orange and had white star-shaped polka dots. As for the right, it was red with white round polka dots. Both had white pompoms on the end. Not only that, but Chopper now held two golden wand with a circular rim covered in round crystals, while the top had a large, blue orb. Embedded around these orbs were yellow sparkle-shaped objects.

"You...transformed?"

"That's right! Now I'm Energy Chopper!" Chopper declared, raising his wands.

 _ **Copy Ability: Energy**_

 _ **It's time to fire energy attacks all over the place with your dual wands! Fire a Dual Energy Whip to strike enemies! Start running and use an Energy Twirl, or grab them and knock them back with an Energy Capture! Go in the air and spin that energy around for a Dual Revolution! Deliver some devastation with an Energy Wave!**_

"This should help me kick even more butt!" Chopper smiled, lowering his wands. Silvera, meanwhile, was left with a dumbfounded expression.

After Silvera flew back into Chopper, he continued onward. Eventually Chopper had run up another curved wall and landed right by a loop ahead. However, by one of the trees was an orange mushroom. Chopper decided to jump on it, and he was immediately launched upward onto a tree branch with a few leaves on it.

But he wasn't alone here. A Tartara Grunt was on the end of one branch, and it started firing purple shots his way. Chopper ducked underneath them and ran up to the end of the branch. Leaping in the air, he aimed his wands diagonally and fired a few balls of sparking energy at the grunt, wiping it out instantly.

There was a vine with a purple bud on the bottom in between him and the other tree branch. Chopper leaped forward to grab it, and after swinging enough times, launched up to the next tree branch. This one's end had a Spring going to another vine to grind on.

A few Darklings stood in the way, so Chopper took this opportunity to charge up enough power into his wands. It only took about a second to do so, then he fired a large ball of energy at some of the Darklings to take them out. Afterward, he ran toward the branch, launched off the Spring, and started grinding on the vine that formed a loop.

As he reached the end of the vine, a Spring launched him toward another tree. This time, he had come in from the opening on the top.

"I guess I gotta skydive here," Chopper said, spreading his arms and feet out as he began to slowly free fall. By throwing his arms back and bringing his feet closer, he started to dive faster. As he was diving, he spotted a decorative golden disk with a star symbol in the center. Chopper wasted no time in grabbing it when he was close. "What's this?"

"I think it's a Star Medal. I don't know how those appeared..." Silvera trailed. "But I guess I would collect them just to be on the safe side."

"Oh... Cool!" Chopper smiled, putting the item away.

 _ **Item: Star Medal**_

 _ **A mysterious medal... They say these things can be traded in for something really good.**_

It didn't take long for him to land at the bottom and find a Dash Ramp, launching Chopper onward.

* * *

"Ungh... What a crash..."

Sitting against one of the trees was another figure shaped like a sphere. He even shared the same eye shape as Chopper, along with the same, stubby arms, gloves, and cuffs. Unlike him, however, he was a yellow color, and he had short-stubby legs to support his small feet. Instead of antennae, a pair of white, angelic wings were on his head. While they were short five years ago, their length certainly grew longer later on.

"I wasn't expecting that to happen..." Flyer moaned, slowly getting up. He looked over at his plane sporting a yellow and gray paint job, along with a symbol of gray wings to get a better look. "Chopper's birthday gift will have to wait an hour. I gotta see if any fuel is low. I swear, I've inspected this thing before coming here..."

Upon further inspection, he noticed that the wings and propeller had been heavily damaged. In fact, a large chunk of the left wing had been blown off!

"Wait... There's nothing wrong with my fuel supply! Someone damaged it!"

"You can thank me for that."

The moment Flyer turned around, his eyes widened at the figure approaching him.

* * *

Chopper was enjoying his carefree self by running down a hill and through a loop before him. There was a Dash Ramp up ahead, but there was also a large, yellow ring called a Dash Ring above. He jumped on that, leading him on the upper route consisting of a green pathway made up of a large, thick vine. The antennae boy unintentionally stomped on a Darkling before running through a corkscrew. This eventually brought him to another Dash Ramp, along with a Spring that launched him higher up into the jungle.

"Wait... Are you sure this is the way to your friend?!" Silvera exclaimed.

"Ummm... There are so many ways to go when I travel." Chopper explained, landing on the flat treetop covered in green grass on the circular surface. "I just know that the higher ones are faster..."

From where he stood, he could get a better glimpse of the sky above him. Off in the distance, he could get a look at a large tree.

The Elder Tree, the largest tree in Colossal Jungle, was not too far ahead, along with the gray castle, otherwise known as Trinado's Castle.

"Hey, It's the Elder Tree! I think it's the biggest tree here!" Chopper commented. Not too far from that tree was a gray castle. "And that's Trinado's Castle! Those were some good times... It even took me longer to get up here back then..."

"I have to admit, this is a pretty nice view," Silvera commented, flying out of Chopper. "What else is on your planet?"

"Well, this place is called Colossal Jungle... There's also Duny Desert, Oregano Ocean, Toxic Forest, Saccharine Snowland, Dragon Mountains, Rainbow Sky, and Darkfire Core! ...Though they seemed to change a lot of times. There's also this other place I barely checked out!"

"Oh... Are there people you know?"

"Ummmm... No, not really. Flyer's really the only friend I have. I did have this one friend when I first came here...but he's gone now." Chopper frowned just thinking about that. "He saved me from my other home being destroyed... And he gave me his weapon, and I used it to beat Maquano."

"Weapon? Where is it?" Silvera wondered.

"It's at my house, but I never really use it anymore. It's really good... But I think my own abilities are much better now. ...Anyway, no time for talking! We gotta get to Flyer quickly! Hopefully we're not too far..."

After Silvera went back into Chopper, he focused on what was ahead. Not too far was a platform with a leaf just below it. Chopper had cleared out the two Darklings in the way by firing a line of energy from his wand via his Dual Energy Whip attack. He then jumped onto the leaf platform, then performed a Side Somersault to get onto the surface a few feet above. Another vine path forming a corkscrew awaited him. Charging up another Star Boost, Chopper took off toward the corkscrew and reached the next large treetop. Only now, this one had a Dash Ring to the left going to another treetop, and a small vine to the right going to one too. The path ahead, meanwhile, had a loop, but a Dash Ring was above that going to the top of the loop.

Chopper decided to take the main path, but instead of going through the loop, he jumped into the Dash Ring to reach the top. On there was a Star Medal he collected, along with a gray star surrounded in a gray, spherical barrier. Just by stomping on it, the energy absorbed into him, and a gray shield had surrounded Chopper's entire body.

 _ **Power-up: Shield**_

 _ **A regular old Shield may not have any special abilities, but it can protect you from taking damage and losing your Copy Ability! Unfortunately, one hit will do away with the Shield.**_

"A Shield..." Chopper trailed. "Well, I think it should help me!"

"That energy you absorbed... Was that from an Item Star?" Silvera wondered.

"I don't know... But I'm OK with that!"

"Well, an Item Star can give you those kinds of power-ups. You can tell what kind of power-up you'll get based on the color of the Item Star. Since there was a barrier around it before you destroyed it, it contained a Shield. It's only red Star Energy, but it is helpful."

"Oh... Thank you?"

Regardless of that, Chopper took the Spring nearby and was launched for another tree. This one was much smaller, and the path on the tree curved downward back into the jungle. Without wasting time, he started running down the tree.

A few leaves would've smacked him in the face, but with the Shield in his possession, he didn't have to worry about that. At the bottom of the tree, a Spring launched him onto the ground, and his landing was pretty smooth.

"That was pretty fast," Silvera commented. "Do you do this stuff daily?"

"Uhhh... I guess." Chopper shrugged. "I've been doing this kind of thing for six years."

"I wonder what that was like?"

"Well..." Chopper stopped himself when he heard the sound of a scream not too far. Recognizing the voice, a determined look grew on his face. "Flyer's in trouble!"

Chopper immediately made a run forward with a Star Dash, while Silvera quickly flew after him. Some food was along the way, and although he hadn't gotten hit, Chopper ate the food anyway.

After passing through a few leaves, Chopper finally stopped in a more open area without any leaves or trees getting in the way. He spotted a crashed plane with a broken propeller and wing to the left. To the right, however, was a different story.

His friend Flyer was there, but he was backing away from a figure unlike anything Chopper had seen before. Sure, he was about five inches taller than him, but his appearance was freaky enough. For starters, this person was mostly gray, while his arms and legs were black, which had crystal-like protrusions pointed back. A pink streak went down his body, while a few were on his arms and legs as well. The figure's head had a pair of black, spike-like protrusions coming out from the left and right side of his head. But his yellow sclera and red eyes definitely stood out the most and made him somewhat creepy. It didn't help that he had no mouth or nose.

"Stay back you...whatever you are!" Flyer exclaimed.

"But what's the fun in that?" the figure chuckled. "I have a task in clearing out this jungle and its inhabitants. You were luckily the first to appear in my sights. And don't worry, I plan to make this quick. I have a lot more to wipe out here."

Before the figure could make any attempt to attack, Chopper had jumped in and struck him from the side with a Star Dash. The figure's eyes widened as he suddenly crashed into one of the trees nearby.

"Chopper?" Flyer gawked.

"Augh! What the heck was that?!" the figure cringed, rubbing his face before standing up. The sight of Chopper made him blink in surprise. "You... You're Chopper... But Lord Maquano said that you were gone!"

"Well... I was saved." Chopper stated bluntly, giving the figure a glare. "But I don't like it when someone hurts my best friend!"

"You know what? Forget that winged freak. Considering your history, I'd rather go after you!"

"So... Who are you supposed to be?" Silvera questioned, flying out of Chopper.

"My name is Crystal Darkness Flagrand, or Flagrand for short. I'm one of Lord Maquano's commanders. I was tasked by him to clear out this entire jungle... But of course, I can't do that when _you're_ in my way."

"You leave my home alone!" Chopper exclaimed.

"Perhaps I'll do so if you end up beating me," Flagrand replied, a crystal blade forming on his right forearm. "But I must warn you... Not many people have been able to take me down. Those that stand before my Crystal Blade and my other weapons weren't up for long."

"I don't care," the small hero replied. "Flyer, you might want to stand back. I wanna take him myself without you getting hurt."

"Understood," Flyer nodded, using his two wings to fly back.

"Wait... Are you sure this is a good idea?" Silvera asked. "I mean-"

"I'm not turning back now," Chopper declared.

"Well... OK..." the Silver Star flew into Chopper, and after being surrounded by sparkles for a few seconds, he leaped forward.

 _ **Mid-boss: Crystal Darkness Flagrand**_

 _ **Flagrand was feared by many due to his dangerous dark powers. Using the crystal-like parts of his body, he can use them as weapons to fight enemies. With his dark powers added to the mix, they become a greater threat. Watch out for his Crystal Blade, Crystal Blast, and Crystal Gun!**_

While in the air, Chopper aimed his wands at a diagonal as he prepared to fire an Energy Blast at Flagrand. However, as he was about to do this, the Crystal Darkness had opened his left hand and fired a crystal made of darkness and struck him. Thankfully, his Shield prevented him from taking damage, but it got destroyed once the attack made contact.

"Whoops... I didn't mean for that to happen." Chopper said sheepishly, while Silvera sighed in annoyance. But he was quickly drawn to Flagrand approaching him and attempting to hit him with his arm blade. He jumped back, ducked as flat as a pancake, or slid right underneath him. No matter what Flagrand did, this hero was dodging his Crystal Blade faster than he could see.

"Lord Maquano said that you were a fast one... But not _this_ fast."

The moment he turned around, an Energy Wave had struck him and sent Flagrand flying back. Then Chopper jumped toward him and knocked the Crystal Darkness into a tree nearby with a Star Dash.

When Chopper stepped back, Flagrand had recovered from the attack and launched himself toward him. Swinging his crystal arm blade, the hero of Clara was knocked back, but it didn't stop him from firing an Energy Wave his way.

"Let's see how you like a Crystal Blast!"

Flagrand clenched his left fist and after charging enough energy, fired a large energy projectile in the shape of a crystal. Both collided, and an explosion appeared between the two. This gave Flagrand the chance to fire more dark crystal projectiles. Having quick reflexes, Chopper was able to duck underneath them and fire another Energy Wave. This time, it struck Flagrand and made him stumble back a bit.

"Gah... I'm not gonna lie... You hit pretty hard." Flagrand commented.

"Well I'll hit you even harder then," Chopper declared, speeding up to Flagrand and catching him. With his Energy Capture, he fired a flurry of energy from his wand and knocked the Crystal Darkness back. Flagrand easily shook the attack off and dashed toward Chopper. Grabbing him, an explosion of darkness had thrown him back.

"Taste my Crystal Gun!" Flagrand roared, firing all sorts of dark projectiles like a machine gun. While a few managed to hit Chopper, he did manage to bring his arms up and guard the rest. Sure, it did some damage, but it did little compared to what it could've done.

When Flagrand stopped his onslaught, he rushed toward Chopper again and swung his Crystal Blade. Though he was thrown back, Chopper managed to land his two feet on a tree behind him and leap toward Flagrand. With his Star Dash, the Crystal Darkness was thrown onto the floor.

But Chopper wasn't going to stop there. While Flagrand was on his back, Chopper jumped in the air and landed a Super Stomp. The Crystal Darkness grunted in pain, but as the hero of Clara leaped off, he took this opportunity to get up and fire a large crystal projectile that exploded upon impact.

"Ow... You're really annoying." Chopper commented, quickly shaking his head from the hit.

"Just give up," Flagrand insisted, another dark crystal forming in his hand. "I can make this much easier on you if you just beg for mercy."

"No! I won't give up!"

"Typical hero response. Why? You don't want to fail your planet?"

"Well... It's because...you're not that tough to beat." Chopper declared, charging up an Energy Wave. "...And I don't want to lose on my birthday!"

Flagrand wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not, but when Chopper's Energy Wave fired, he dodged it and came his way. Chopper ducked underneath his blade and grabbed a hold of him. Using his Energy Capture again, he threw Flagrand back by one of the leaves.

After recovering from the hit, Flagrand jumped out of the leaves and went at Chopper once more. The antennae boy used his Dual Energy Whip to catch him off guard and block his Crystal Blade. However, that didn't stop Flagrand one bit. With his other hand, he fired more crystal energy, which reverted Chopper back to his normal appearance. As for his Energy ability, it had turned into an orange Ability Star with an emblem of energy.

"So this is what you normally look like..." Flagrand remarked, firing a crystal to shatter the star. "Then this fight is easily mine."

"I'm afraid you're incorrect," Flyer spoke up from above. "Though Chopper may not have a Copy Ability on him, he has proven to be very resilient-"

"I don't need your commentary, Wing-head. Once I'm through with this antennaed freak, I'm coming after you-"

A Star Dash had suddenly hit him and knocked him to the tree. Flagrand's eyes began to spin in a comical manner as Chopper landed on his feet and clenched his fists.

"I'm not done kicking your butt yet!" Chopper exclaimed, glaring at the demon.

"Grrrr! Take this!" Flagrand growled, firing another dark crystal his way. To his surprise, Chopper didn't even make any movements to dodge. Instead, he opened his mouth and sucked the crystal into his mouth. "What the...!"

The next moment, a yellow star spat out of his mouth and sent him tumbling back. Flagrand grunted angrily as he got up and rubbed his head. After shaking his head, the Crystal Darkness put his Crystal Gun to use.

"Chopper! Remember that you can at least inhale something while using your Star Dash!" Flyer reminded.

"Oh, right!"

Chopper put his Star Dash to use again and blazed through the projectiles. He opened his mouth while at it and caught the small crystals in his mouth. Spitting out a larger star, Flagrand was thrown onto his back. Then Chopper delivered another Super Stomp, and his eyes widened in pain.

"Argh!" Flagrand wheezed as Chopper jumped backwards. When he slowly got himself up, he found himself on his knees and unable to stand straight. "Gah... I can barely fight at this point..."

"That's what happens when you try to hurt my friends!" Chopper stated.

"Well, I guess there's a reason why you're the hero of this world... You're probably the first one to bring me this far."

"I guess that makes me special!"

"Yes... Yes it does." Flagrand grumbled. "Well, I said that I'd leave your home be if you'd beat me... At this point, I can't go attacking anyone. As embarrassing as it is, I have no choice but to retreat. But know this, Chopper of Clara... Don't forget about me, because I _will_ come after you again. You're officially my number one target."

Black crystals suddenly materialized and engulfed his entire body, and upon shattering, Flagrand was out of their sights.

"Well... That was an interesting fight to see." Silvera remarked, flying out of Chopper. "Maybe there's more to you than I originally thought."

"Yeah! ...Wait, what do you mean?"

Before Silvera could answer, the sound of flapping wings grabbed her attention when Flyer was slowly descending.

"I thank you for the rescue, Chopper," Flyer sighed in relief upon landing. "I was not expecting him to assault me."

"Well... It's a good thing I saw you!" Chopper smiled.

"Yeah," the winged boy approached his plane with a frown. "Man... I just did some repairs on the Hurricane a few weeks ago. I guess getting back to Elsa will take a lot longer..."

Flyer flew over to his damaged plane and grabbed a few things from the seat. Chopper noticed that the first was a silver wrench with a yellow handle, while the other was a gray pistol with a large, yellow barrel.

"Whew... At least my Morph-O-Tool and Blast-O are in good shape. ...If only I had gotten them before Flagrand got in my way..." Flyer mumbled, putting his tool away. "So... Who is that star with you, Chopper?"

"My name is Silvera," the Silver Star introduced. "I'm one of the twenty Silver Stars."

"Silver Stars? I've never heard of them before..."

"Well, they're not well-known, and for good reasons."

"I see... Well, if you're here, then something serious is obviously going on."

"Yeah. I suppose I can explain everything again." Silvera sighed.

"I guess you can do that at my house," Chopper suggested. "It shouldn't be that tough to go back!"

"I think that's a good idea," Flyer agreed, taking out a silver cube with a light blue circle in the center of one of the faces. Aiming it at his plane, a ray of blue light fired at it, making it slowly materialize away into his cube. "I'll try to get the Hurricane fixed later... For now, it'll stay in my Storage Cube..."

Wasting no time, everyone headed back to Chopper's house.

* * *

 **For those wondering, I only do those descriptions of items or abilities when they're first gotten. So... Whenever Chopper gets the Energy ability again, that description won't be there. I actually based it off of those descriptions you can read in Kirby games when you pause the game. Same thing goes with mid-bosses and bosses.**

 **If you were to picture how the areas played out... Think of a gameplay mix of Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Sonic Generations/Sonic Adventure, and Super Mario Galaxy, but with a few other things added into it.**


	5. Venturing the Lost Ruins

Chapter 5: Venturing the Lost Ruins

"So, you're saying that Maquano has come to this Silver Star Sanctuary, drained the power out of you and the others, and sent you all elsewhere?" Flyer questioned, now having the full story.

The three were all in Chopper's living room, with Chopper and Flyer sitting on the red sofa. Flyer was sitting up straight and focused, while Chopper was lying on the couch with his eyes closed, though no one seemed to pay attention to that or his soft snoring.

"Yeah. I don't know where the others went, but if we're not together, then we have no hope in stopping that evil knight." Silvera explained, worry heard in her tone.

"Well, you don't need to be too worried," Flyer assured with a smile. "Chopper and I will gladly assist you. Who knows? There could be another Silver Star somewhere around here."

"You're surprisingly optimistic."

"That's what happens when you're around Chopper, right?" the winged boy looked over at Chopper, but double-took the moment he saw him asleep. "Uhhh... Chopper?"

Silvera groaned, throwing herself at Chopper to get him up.

"Huh? What?" Chopper spoke, quickly shaking his head. "Wait... What was going on?"

"Were you sleeping the whole time I was explaining everything?!" Silvera fumed, steam coming out of her head. "You can't just ignore important details!"

"...What do you mean?" the antennae boy wondered, cocking his head to the side. Silvera smacked her forehead before flying away from him.

"Ugh... So much for there being more to you." the Silver Star grumbled. "OK, I'll explain in twenty words or less. Maquano stole the power from all of the Silver Stars, separating us, and we need to get back together."

"Oh... I can help you out!" Chopper smiled. "I do this stuff a lot!"

"I appreciate your help and all...but there's like a one out of a million chance that there'd be another Silver Star here."

"If there's a chance...then we still have a chance!"

"But I never said there- Wait a minute." Silvera stopped herself mid-sentence and groaned.

"It doesn't hurt to check," Flyer assured. "Chopper knows the most about this planet, so we should be able to at least know where exactly to go."

"Ummm... I wouldn't say I know all of it." Chopper mentioned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "But I'll try."

"OK... Well, I guess we have no choice but to go out and search." Silvera sighed.

"Yeah!" Chopper cheered, jumping off the sofa and running to the door. "I guess we're going on a star adventure!"

"You mean a Silver Star adventure?" Flyer corrected, flying over to the door.

"I...guess so."

"If you plan on going through a lot of universes, it's more of a multiverse adventure," Silvera added, following the two out of Chopper's house.

When the three were outside, Chopper took a look up at the sky, then he looked around. Two pathways had been explored already. Only one more remained, and it was to the right of his house.

"I...guess we can go this way," Chopper suggested, pointing ahead.

"All right. We might as well go in that direction." Silvera stated. "Come to think of it... I am sensing some kind of energy this way..."

"Maybe it's a Silver Star!"

"Maybe not. I don't know if we can sense each other. But if you want to do that, by all means, go right ahead." Silvera said, flying into Chopper.

"Wait... Why did she go into you?" Flyer questioned.

"Well, it benefits me," the Silver Star answered, and Flyer had to blink in bewilderment.

"I can hear your voice... But it's not coming out of Chopper's mouth."

"It's...hard to explain. Just roll with it, OK?"

"Well, if you insist..." Flyer turned his head to his friend and taking out a flat, gray device with a light blue screen projecting a hologram. "It seems that my Holomap is telling me that this is the only way to go... And it seems to show some interesting architecture ahead."

"Oh... That's cool!" Chopper remarked.

"Well, since you know this world more than I do, why don't you lead the way, Chopper?"

Nodding, Chopper adjusted the cuffs on his gloves before speeding ahead. Flyer followed ahead, using his two wings to speed up.

The start of this pathway put Chopper to a halt when he spotted another mushroom in front of him. Only this one was a red color. Since the footing was pretty high, he decided to jump on it to get some extra height. Unfortunately, this only moved him slightly higher.

"Chopper! Remember that you can use a Super Stomp to gain some extra height on bounceable objects!" Flyer informed.

"Oh... Right!" Chopper nodded, using a Super Stomp to get enough height to reach higher ground. Flyer, meanwhile, had no problems getting over there, as his natural flying abilities let him reach Chopper.

"I almost forgot to give you this!" Flyer realized, taking out a silver, rectangular device with a and screen and handing it to Chopper. "I was coming here to give you this for your birthday."

"What is it?"

"A communicator! ...Or rather, my Holocator! It creates a hologram of yourself to the one you're contacting!"

"But... I don't know how to use stuff like this!" Chopper cried, his arms shaking.

"It's very easy to use. You just touch the screen and select who you want to contact, and then you're good to go. It can also get in contact with others that have a similar device."

"Oh... Well, thanks, Flyer! I'll put it to use! ...I think."

After putting it away, Chopper brought his attention forward. Standing before him was a bipedal flower creature with orange petals, a brown face, green leaf arms sporting fingers, and green feet with three toes. In their hands were sharp, leafy weapons.

"Huh? What's that?" Chopper wondered, but he quickly sped aside when this flower creature was charging at him.

"None shall get in the Beautiful Floweti's way!" the enemy declared.

"Floweti? Who's that?"

"All of this world's sunlight belongs to him and all Florias!"

Before the Floria Pawn could make another move, Chopper stomped on its head, turning it into dust. They ended up dropping some Starries, which Chopper happily grabbed, while Flyer was left gawking.

"Ummmm... Chopper? What are those things they dropped?" Flyer asked.

"Oh... They're Starries? Silvera told me that they're like money or something. I guess I can find them from bad guys or other places because she put some of her energy into me?"

"Hmmmm... That makes sense..." Flyer pondered. "But those Florias... I don't think I've ever heard of them before... And what do they want with the sunlight?"

"I don't know... But maybe we'll find out." Chopper said, carrying on ahead. Not too far was a path branching in two directions. The left had two narrow walls leading up to a platform a few feet from where he stood, while the right had a few jumps reaching a taller path. At the top was a figure wearing yellow armor. A purple plume was on the back of its helmet, and on the opening of its helmet were two blue eyes. The gauntlets and feet this knight had were purple, while the lower portion of its body armor was orange. In the figure's hand, meanwhile, was a silver blade. "Hey... If that bad guy has a sword... Then I can get that ability!"

"Wait... What do you mean?" Silvera gawked as Chopper jumped up each ledge to the right and reached higher ground. The armored knight, named a Slash Knight, took notice of Chopper and prepared to swing at him. However, just before it could land an attack, he charged right into it with a Star Dash while inhaling. The moment Chopper stopped his Star Dash, he was wearing a green knight's helmet with the visor up, and a yellow plume on the top. In his hand, however, was a shiny blade with a blue guard, while a yellow orb was embedded near the top of the hilt.

 _ **Copy Ability: Sword**_

 _ **The greatest of melee weapons is back! Use a Drill Stab to charge into enemies at intense speeds! Take down enemies above with a Down Thrust! Attack foes surrounding you with a Sword Spin! Launch enemies into the air with an Upward Slash and deliver pain with an Air Slash! Send them falling with a Sword Dive afterward! Let's not forget about the all-powerful Sword Wave!**_

"Looks like he's Sword Chopper now," Flyer commented.

"Sword Chopper?" Silvera gawked. "So... What's with the helmet?"

Gripping his sword, Chopper swung it with intense speed, creating a light blue trail behind. The tall grass easily went down, revealing some Starries underneath and allowing him to move ahead after collecting them. Up ahead was some more tall grass. When Chopper got close, a Darkling and Floria Pawn had leaped out to surprise him, but the moment he destroyed them with his sword, they were already too late.

When he finished his attack, the visor on his helmet had come down. Chopper grumbled as he brought it back up.

"I hate it when that happens..." Chopper frowned before he moved on ahead.

Once he cut away the tall grass, Chopper came across a hill going down to a shuttle loop. A smile was all over his face as he ran down the terrain and through the loop. The Dash Ramp ahead had taken him to a vine with a purple bud that he grabbed and swung over to where the two paths met. He landed, but instead of touching the ground, he was launched off a Spring on a broken pillar. On there was a Star Medal that he grabbed.

"Whoa, Chopper! You don't need to be taking so many different routes!" Flyer called out. "You're not on a time limit or anything!"

"But... I like going fast!" Chopper complained, landing on a vine that he started to grind across, which went over another hill. This helped him land on top of a loop with a Zip Line before him. Putting his sword on his back, he grabbed it and headed back onto the ground.

The moment he was back on the grassy floor, Chopper noticed the leaves and floor get a little darker. With the blue sky nowhere in sight, no sunlight was shining onto the floor. However, despite this, it wasn't completely pitch black. A blue firefly had flown past Chopper and even landed on his hat.

"Wow... This is really cool!" Chopper smiled, seeing even more fireflies around when coming to a stop. In a way, the jungle looked more bluish than green.

Even Flyer found himself gawking at this jungle area when he finally reached Chopper.

"How intriguing..." Flyer commented, opening his left hand to let a firefly land on it.

"Yeah, this is pretty interesting," Silvera added.

"Well... Hopefully these things can help light the place up a bit." Chopper said as he started to carry on ahead.

As Chopper continued running, he started to spot a few broken, white architecture around. Some pillars were even lying on the ground, and they looked like there was some space underneath to get through. Flyer had flown over the obstacle, while Chopper slid under while keeping his speed.

Eventually he ran up a curved path leading to higher ground. Upon landing, two Floria Pawns were on broken pillar pieces to his left and right. The left side had a red reel with a circular blue light hanging off a vine path above. He had jumped up to the left pillar, and by driving his sword down with a Down Thrust, he was able to take out the Floria Pawn blocking his path.

Sure, the Pulley looked a little different than what it originally looked like, but it acted all the same when Chopper grabbed it. The Pulley reeled up, taking him with it, and he was led up to the vine path. This allowed him to skip a section ahead that had several high ledges to jump up, along with grabbing another Star Medal. A Spring had launched Chopper to the top where a Tartara Grunt and Darkling were waiting.

Before they could fire their attacks, Chopper twirled his blade while spinning around. The two enemies were nothing but dust within seconds.

Up ahead, Chopper could hear the sound of a waterfall. That was when he discovered a large pond with a waterfall to his left. On the other hand, the wall to his right was curved enough so he could run on it too.

But the sparkling waters and all of the fireflies above it was enough to stop him from taking the quicker way.

"Wow... This is nice!" Chopper commented.

"Huh... Those fireflies do look nice when above the water..." Silvera commented, just as Flyer caught up.

"Chopper, you know how to swim, right?" Flyer reminded.

"Uh huh," Chopper nodded before jumping into the water. Being small and light, floating was pretty easy. Swimming around was no issue either, but his attention was quickly drawn to some Hyper Energy at the bottom of the water. He let himself sink down and grabbed it, then the pale green hero swam back to the surface.

After shaking off the water, Chopper ran ahead and off a Dash Ramp. Below him was another body of water with a few pillars sticking out, but a Rainbow Ring was also in the air too. Using his Star Dash, he charged toward the Rainbow Ring to get some Starries along the way and was launched across the water. He did a few tricks while in the air to keep himself up and reach the vine ahead to grind on. This led him through a corkscrew and onto another vine path. A few Floria Pawns were on this pathway, but Chopper simply had to use his Drill Stab to charge forward like a drill. The enemies were wiped out, and Chopper was able to continue on.

A few leaf platforms had led to a higher footing, and one of them contained a blue Item Star surrounded in what appeared to be a bubble. Hitting this Item Star caused a spherical blue barrier resembling a bubble to surround Chopper upon absorbing the energy.

 _ **Power-up: Water Shield**_

 _ **Thanks to the Water Shield, there's no need to worry about being slowed down in water! Not even water or ice-based attacks can hit you with this on! Your Super Stomp should also bounce you upward as well for some extra height!**_

"Weird... Well, it should help me out!" Chopper smiled, reaching the higher footing and finding a watery slope going downward. He was about to run down it, but the pale green hero found himself slipping on it. Next thing he knew, he was falling into another pond at the end of the slide.

However, unlike last time, his feet didn't feel like they were being slowed down underwater.

"Oh... So this shield lets me move freely in water! I like that!"

Unfortunately, a few Floria Pawns were in the water as well, and they didn't seem to be limited by their environment. And with the Water Shield not limiting his movement underwater, Chopper knew he had the upper hand, especially with the sword in his hand.

Swimming up to the Floria Pawns, Chopper performed a somersault while swinging his sword. The enemies were wiped out, and it allowed Chopper to swim up to the surface and continue on.

After running for a few more seconds, Chopper's eyes caught sight of some architecture ahead. He immediately came to a sudden halt, causing lots of dust to appear in front of him. When it cleared, he took notice of what appeared to be a white building with vines covering most of it. Some pillars were broken down and lying on the floor, and parts of the building had pieces broken off.

To the right, meanwhile, was a gate with no sign of a switch. But Chopper's eyes were already glued to the ruins at that moment.

"Whoa... What is this?" Chopper gawked, while Flyer had finally caught up.

"Oh, Chopper! You finally stopped! It takes a while to catch up to..." Flyer had stopped when he noticed the architecture as well. "Oh my..."

"I wonder what this place is doing here?"

"Hmmmm... Maybe this was the place my Holomap was showing?" Flyer approached a damaged sign and saw some words carved on it. "It says it's called the Lost Ruins. That would explain all of the vines and vegetation coming out of this place. It might even be centuries old!"

"Are you sure about that?" Silvera wondered, leaving Chopper's body to take a look.

"Well, Wingels tend to have a high intellect... That, and it's pretty obvious."

"Oh... So you're called a Wingel? What are you supposed to be, Chopper?"

"Me? Ummm..." Chopper stopped himself to think for a moment. "I...don't know."

"What? You were never told what your people are throughout the years?!"

"I can't... They're all gone. I'm the only one left."

"Oh..." Silvera said quietly, looking down at the ground. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's OK! I've moved on from that!" Chopper assured, putting his sword away and running over to the doorway. "Ummm... Maybe we should see if there's anything here?"

"Yeah... We probably should." Silvera agreed, flying over to Chopper. "Though, it is kind of dark. But I think I can see some fireflies in there..."

"That should help," Chopper commented. After Silvera flew back into him, he started charging up his Star Boost before taking off. Flyer was not too far behind.

A long, narrow hallway was the first thing Chopper was met with when he ran into the Lost Ruins. Several broken pillars were knocked over, forcing him to slide under or jump over them. However, when he reached the end of the hallway, a giant pillar was in the way of the door. No jumping or crawling could even get past that.

But that wasn't stopping Chopper from drawing his sword and raising it. Once it started glowing white, he swung, and a white, crescent-shaped projectile fired out and sliced through the pillar.

"Good thing my Sword Wave can cut through stuff like that!" Chopper smiled as he lowered his sword.

Running through the doorway, Chopper came to a halt when he stepped into a more open room. Unfortunately, it didn't look like there were any signs of a doorway ahead.

"I guess we ran into a dead end," Silvera commented upon flying out of Chopper. She spotted a few broken walls with vines coming into the room. Being tall, there was plenty of room above as well.

"I wouldn't say that," Flyer started, looking above. "There's plenty of room above. I'm sure we can find some sort of switch."

"Though... I don't think I can get up there." Chopper frowned. "Could you help me out, Flyer?"

"Sure thing. There should be plenty of high footholds for me to fly you up to."

"Meanwhile, I'll just watch what Chopper does," Silvera decided, flying back into Chopper.

With his wings flapping, Flyer lifted himself off the ground. Chopper jumped up, allowing the Wingel to grab his arm. Though it was a little extra weight, the experience has made it less of an issue for Flyer. It wasn't long until he reached the closest foothold above and let go of Chopper.

"I think this is a good point for me to drop you," Flyer panted, landing on the foothold as well. "Those branches coming out from the walls should help you travel up. ...Just be careful, OK?"

Nodding, Chopper started to carefully go across the branch and to the next foothold, all the while collecting some orange Starries. There was one not too far above, but with the tree branches sticking out from the wall, he had no problems getting up there, especially since they had red mushrooms on them.

After bouncing up the last one, Chopper spotted a blue button on the highest foothold. He glanced at Flyer for a moment before facing the foothold. Getting the idea, the Wingel grabbed Chopper's arm and flew him up there. One Super Stomp to the button pushed it into place, and an explosion below created a doorway.

"Yay! Now we can continue on!" Chopper cheered, jumping down from the foothold.

"Whoa! Hold on! You're going to get hurt!" Silvera cried, but when he landed, it didn't look like he was hurt in the slightest. "Wait... What?"

"Don't worry. We don't necessarily get hurt when we fall from certain heights..." Flyer informed, flying back down.

"Oh... Geez, you guys are really weird."

Going through the doorway, there were a few holes through the hallway letting in some light. Several fireflies had come from there, giving some blue light in the room. Ahead were a few more broken pillars, but Chopper saw a hidden path to his right with a few tall grass in the way. He decided to turn that way and cut down the grass, revealing a doorway going into a tall room with a spiral staircase going to the top. He ran through this, all the while grabbing a Star Medal along the way.

By reaching the doorway, Chopper had entered the upper path of another large room. This one was filled with plenty of pillars below, along with water. However, being on the higher point, he didn't have to worry about that – just as long as he didn't fall off. The path he had, meanwhile, consisted of tree branches coming into the walls. He jumped onto each, and after running to the end of them, jumped across until he reached the doorway below. A Floria Pawn happened to be where he landed, and one stomp ended up taking it out.

"What are these guys doing here?" Chopper wondered.

"That's a good question," Flyer replied, flying over the pillars and water to reach Chopper. "Perhaps we'll find out deeper in the Lost Ruins."

Going through the doorway, Chopper was met with a staircase going down. However, there was a high ledge above the bottom of the stairs. Flyer had helped him get up there, where they were met with three Floria Pawns.

"Let me help you out, Chopper," Flyer insisted, taking out his Morph-O-Tool. It ended up turning into a wrench with sparks emitting from the end. "Luckily, my Morph-O-Tool can transform into many tools that can also be used as weapons!"

"Cool! How much is in there?"

"Well... Not too much so far, but I'll eventually add in a few more things."

Two Floria Pawns had charged at Chopper and attempted to swipe their leaf weapons at him. He easily sped backwards, and when they were off guard, he went up to them and proceeded to rapidly slash at them. One final swing knocked them backwards and made them explode into dust. Flyer, meanwhile, had lifted himself off the ground with his wings to avoid the other Floria Pawn. When it missed, he swung his wrench and gave it a nasty shock. To finish it off, he put his Wingel's natural abilities to use to create a small whirlwind via flapping his wings and sending it flying back. It, too, had become nothing but dust.

"Wait... You can create wind?" Silvera gawked.

"All Wingels have wind abilities. It's not something I use often...but our wings allow us to put it to use."

"Huh..."

While traveling along this path, Chopper found a few vines on both sides of the walls. He decided to grind on these to gain some speed, but when they would end, he leaped to the one on the opposite side. Eventually a Spring launched him toward another large room. Much like another room, this was tall and had circular pathways. Except now, he was about halfway thanks to the alternate pathway.

But because of that alternate route, Chopper now stood before a yellow Item Star with a yellow barrier covered in sparks. Out of curiosity, he struck the star, which created a yellow, translucent spherical shield with yellow sparks surrounding his body.

 _ **Power-up: Electric Shield**_

 _ **What a shock! It's the sparking Electric Shield! Not only does it protect you from electrical-based attacks, but your Star Jump has some extra height as well! Starries also get attracted and will automatically come toward you at a certain distance. Keep it out of water, though, or else the Electric Shield will be gone.**_

"Another new shield? This is nice!" Chopper smiled.

"I suppose these alternate routes lead to better rewards," Flyer remarked. "I'd take them if I was given something, that's for sure."

"Yeah... But now I guess I have to take things slow here." Chopper stated. "Dang..."

"I don't know if I can fly you all the way up there," Flyer added, but then his eyes took notice of the walls. "Huh... Some parts of these walls are covered in webs. I suppose you could climb on that."

Nodding, Chopper ran to the opposite side and to the webbed wall. Using his Star Jump, two yellow sparks appeared below as he gained some extra height. This allowed him to grab the webbed wall a few feet above. He then started his climb upward.

However, a few purple spiders weren't going to let him get any further. These Ruins Spiders started approaching him, their mouths drooling green saliva.

Noticing this, Flyer drew his pistol and fired an orange energy shot out. The Ruins Spiders immediately fell to the ground and exploded into dust the next moment. Flyer then followed behind, using his wings to fly up instead.

"It's a good thing I brought my newly designed energy pistol, the Blast-O for ranged attacks. While my alternate shots are a little limited for the time being... I think this works fine."

When Chopper reached the top, he took down a Ruins Spider with his sword and looked down below. Apparently there was a hole on the floor covered up in a few webs.

"What's up with those webs on the floor?" Chopper wondered.

"Considering the spiders here, it's easy to deduce that they created it," Flyer pondered. "But getting through that... Well, we don't have any fire to burn it down... Perhaps if you leaped off from here and used your Super Stomp, the force should be able to break through the cobweb."

Chopper nodded, but he caught sight of something sparkling above on a branch. He pointed at the tree branch, and Flyer immediately knew what to do. The Wingel helped him get up there, where he found Hyper Energy. After claiming it, Chopper made a leap down below while using his Super Stomp.

The force of his stomp was so strong, that the cobweb stood no chance. As for Chopper, he ended up landing in a small room below with water that was going up to his feet. When Flyer and Silvera went down to join him, they spotted a pathway being blocked by another cobweb.

"Leave this to me!" Chopper declared, using his Star Dash to charge into the cobweb. The force broke through it, allowing him to reach a dark, circular room.

Chopper looked ahead and spotted a large, orange plant ahead. It resembled that of a venomous plant, but this one sported several red petals on its head. The stem was green, along with its sharp leaves. Unlike a Floria, this one didn't have any hands or legs and was more like a typical plant.

"You shall go no further," a Floria with blue petals and purple stem declared. "I don't know who you people are, but the Beautiful Floweti does not welcome your kind!"

"Who is this Floweti you're talking about?" Silvera questioned, flying out of Chopper.

"That's the _Beautiful_ Floweti! And he's our great leader! It is he who shall grant us eternal sunlight for this planet thanks to what he possesses!"

"What are you talking about?"

"As if we'd tell you what we have! Raging Floria! Let us destroy these three!"

The Raging Floria let out a roar as it opened its mouth to fire a giant seed their way. The other Floria, known as a Floria Cutter, swung its arms and fired razor-sharp leaves their way. Chopper easily cut through the leaves and the large seed with one swing. However, the Floria Cutter did manage to get up close and strike him with its leaf blades, destroying his Electric Shield.

"Oh, man..."

"Chopper, let me stun the larger Floria with some bombs. Then you go in and strike it with everything you've got!" Flyer suggested.

"OK!" Chopper nodded, dodging the Floria Cutters next attack. Flyer, meanwhile, pulled out a silver bomb with wings on the sides. When the Raging Floria roared, he tossed it into its mouth. The explosion made the enemy fall to the ground, giving Chopper the chance to hack at it. While in the air, he delivered the final blow with one Down Thrust, driving the blade into the Raging Floria and making it explode into dust.

"Wh-What?! Impossible!" the Floria Cutter gaped. "There's no one that can challenge us! Unless... You're that Chopper who's been saving this world several times!"

"Yeah, that's me!"

"Well... There's no way I'm going to back down so easily. If I take you down, then I'm guaranteed to be greater than anyone on this planet! So say your prayers, Chopper, because I-"

One Drill Stab had managed to take out the Floria Cutter and turn it into dust.

"Good work, you two," Silvera complimented. "It's too bad that Floria didn't get to spill out that much..."

"Maybe we can get a little more out of these guys," Flyer assumed. "But if there are more of these guys here... Then they're sure to be up ahead."

"Yeah! Let's go get 'em!" Chopper declared, running on ahead after Silvera flew into him. This had led him into another tall room, only now there was a hole above. The walls did appear to be narrow, so he put his Wall Jump to use and reached the top.

Climbing out of the hole led him into a small hallway with a doorway in the middle. As the other two reached him, they followed him to the light coming through the doorway.

Just as Chopper stepped into the doorway, several figures were in a large room with a broken statue dead ahead. Though, to his relief, they didn't seem to notice him. Flyer was left with widened eyes at the group, but then they noticed a broken piece of a pillar on its side to their right.

"Chopper! Let's hide!" Flyer whispered. "I wouldn't advise fighting all of them!"

"Oh... OK." Chopper frowned, becoming a blur as he headed for the pillar to hide behind. The three slowly took a peek from above to find a large group of Florias. However, there was one that stood out the most.

This Floria was much taller compared to the other Florias. But he was also the most colorful of them all. While most of them had petals of matching colors, his was of various different colors such a red, yellow, blue, purple, and green. His face was a pale yellow, which sported pink eye shadow and pink lipstick. His upper body was also green, while the bottom was pink, with his feet sporting high heels, and on his back was a white cape.

"Whoa... Who is that guy?" Chopper wondered.

"Shhhh! Let's listen to him!" Silvera shushed.

"So, this is the place that you found that _beautiful_ object?"

"Of course, Floweti!" a Floria nodded.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean _Beautiful_ Floweti!"

"I see... And in such a place so _ugly_? It just makes my soil _twist_! And to think that we used to settle here..." Floweti mumbled. "No matter. Even though we've moved on from the Lost Ruins, I thank you for finding my prize. It's almost as _beautiful_ as yours truly!"

"Geez... He's really full of himself..." a red Floria mumbled to another, only for a sharp petal to suddenly fire its way. It let out a yelp as it recoiled. "S-Sorry about that, Floweti the Beautiful!"

"It's _Beautiful_ Floweti, but that works as well. Anyway, let's leave this place and head back to my greenhouse. With the power my new trinket has, this world's sunlight shall belong to the Florias!"

The Florias made their exit from the upper right doorway, while Floweti was the last to leave. As he was going to the doorway, Silvera flew out of Chopper and got a better look at the Floria leader and the object he held in his hands.

"Oh my gosh..." Silvera gasped. "He's got Silveader!"

"Silveader?" Chopper questioned.

"He's the leader of us Silver Stars!"

"Ohhhhh..."

"Well, at least we know there's another Silver Star here..." Flyer sighed in relief.

"Yeah!" Chopper smiled. "...I guess that means I was right about one being here!"

"No, it's just a coincidence..." Silvera grumbled.

"But we better follow them!" Flyer suggested.

"Yeah," Chopper nodded, leaping over the broken pillar and running toward the doorway. He spotted a small room with a bright light coming from the end of the hall. Wasting no time, he made a mad dash toward it and out of the Lost Ruins.

* * *

 **First of all... I'm very, VERY sorry for this update taking so long. A lot of things had gotten in the way...when I really didn't need to do those. I'll try to make sure the next update doesn't take almost four weeks.**

 **With that aside... Chopper's not traveling alone this time, having Flyer on his side! So there should be more character interaction compared to "Chopper of Clara". We've also got an idea who our bad guy is, and he's a rather...interesting villain. I wanted to come up with something a little more original, thus Floweti- I mean the** _Beautiful_ **Floweti was born!**

 **Also, expect the next chapter for things to be taken up a notch.**


	6. Scorching Dangers

Chapter 6: Scorching Dangers

A small, cool breeze brushed against Chopper's face when he stepped outside of the Lost Ruins. The first thing he spotted was a path up ahead, while another was to the right. For now, he checked that out. It had apparently led to a gate with a blue button. A Super Stomp opened the gate, revealing the path back to the entrance of the Lost Ruins. Plus, some Starries were there for him to get. Afterward, he headed back to the backside before Flyer and Silvera came out of the ruins.

"Where did those Florias go?" Silvera asked. "Did you see them, Chopper?"

"Ummm... No." Chopper replied while shaking his head. "But I found a gate going back to the front!"

"...Yeah, sure. But right now we need to find that Floweti and get back Silveader!"

"Oh... Well, I guess there's only one way to go." Chopper said, pointing ahead.

"Then stop standing around! We gotta go! NOW!"

Surprised by this sudden outburst from the Silver Star, Chopper and Flyer nodded immediately. After Silvera went back into Chopper, the two made a mad dash forward.

Things had sped up once Chopper started moving. A small slope was before him, allowing the pale green boy to run up a small curve launching him off the ground. Sure, it wasn't enough to reach the high ground above him, but that was where a red oblong with three blue circles and yellow stars was ahead. Chopper jumped up a few small steps scattered around and reached the Wide Spring. This launched him up to higher ground, but while in the air, there was a Dash Ring leading to the top of a loop. Putting his Star Dash to use, he launched toward it and landed on the leafy surface on top of the loop.

Chopper was more than happy to claim the Shield that was in the Item Star. Afterward, he jumped off and ran down another hill. He would've gone further, but several yellow blocks with a white star in the center called Star Blocks had gotten in the way. Unfortunately, he ended up bumping into one of them.

"Ow..."

"Are you all right, Chopper?" Flyer asked, flying over to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What's with the blocks here?" Chopper wondered.

"I'm not sure... But a Super Stomp or Star Dash should help you smash through them!"

"Oh... Thanks!" Chopper smiled, using a Star Dash to plow through several of the Star Blocks in his path. This allowed him to reach a small curve that stopped his speed. Thankfully, that was what he needed, considering that there was a cliff before him. However, hanging from some of the branches were three ropes swinging back and forth. Below was another pathway, but with the Florias and obstacles getting in the way, Chopper focused on what was ahead. "OK... I gotta be careful here."

When the rope was close, Chopper grabbed onto it and swung to the next one. When he reached the third after grabbing a Star Medal, he leaped off and landed on the upper path. However, the section of the floor he stepped on started to crumble, so he ran off before that could happen. Flyer, meanwhile, simply flew across these obstacles with ease.

Up ahead was a small tree with a path circling around it. Chopper ran onto this tree and started going down. The more he moved, the faster he started going. Eventually he was running across another pond with a waterfall in the background, then the path curved upward. Upon launching off, Chopper had found two loops. He decided to land on the top to find some food for him to eat, along with another Star Medal. Afterward, he leaped off and headed down another hill and into another tree. This one had a path curving around the interior, so he wasted no time in running around and collecting the red Starries until he reached the entryway high above.

As he and Flyer stepped out, a Floria Cutter had dropped from above and struck Chopper, destroying his Shield. Chopper was about to attack, but then it swung its leaf blade and knocked away his Sword ability.

"Ow! You jerk!" Chopper complained, inhaling it and spitting it at a tree to his left.

Before he could go any further, he caught sight of another Slash Knight. But unlike the previous one he ran into, this one had a glowing yellow star on its helmet, and on its back was a red cape. It also had a light blue and light purple glowing star surrounding its body

"What the... I've never seen this before..."

"You say you know this place, yet you say you've never run into things we just encountered," Silvera groaned.

"Well... I usually don't go this way. But, I might as well get my Sword ability back!"

Approaching the Super Slash Knight, he opened his mouth and inhaled it. But upon swallowing it, a sudden boost of power surged within his body. He was still wearing his green knight's helmet, but now he had a symbol of a yellow star on the front. The yellow plume he had was also much longer, and on the sides of his helmet were a pair of two, white crystals. Chopper himself had blue aura covering his body.

His sword, meanwhile, had undergone a new look as well. Now the blue guard was curved down, and instead of an yellow orb embedded in it, it was now a green one with a yellow trim and a yellow star in the center. The blade was slightly bigger to boot.

"Whoa... This is cool!" Chopper gasped. "It feels... _super_!"

 _ **Super Ability: Ultra Sword**_

 _ **With destructive power, a Super Ability is now in your hands! Its name: Ultra Sword! Grow your blade to a greater size and slice through everything, even the environment in your path!**_

"Well... I might as well put this to use!" Chopper decided, moving onward. However, several Floria Pawns, along with a Floria Cutter and Raging Floria were in the way. What was also strange was that the rocks in the way were covered in glowing stars.

But this was definitely a good time to put his ability to use! Twirling his sword around, he raised it, causing it to grow five times its normal size. The swing caught all the enemies and rocks in its range, destroying every one of them.

"What the..." Silvera gawked. "Did your sword really...?"

"Really what?" Chopper wondered, only to notice his sword's size. "Whoa! How'd it grow like that?!"

"I guess your ability is...different compared to your normal sword," Flyer deduced.

"Maybe that's why that enemy looked different..."

Regardless, Chopper ran ahead, spotting two branching paths, along with one ahead. Each one was covered in tall rocks, along with a few Darklings and Tartara Grunts. Chopper put his Ultra Sword ability to use again, only this time it became a butcher's knife. One swing took them out, allowing him to go forward.

The path ahead had a vine he leaped on to grind down. There was a large path below, but there was another vine above. Chopper jumped and used a Star Jump to get a little extra height. Grinding on the vine led him past a few rocks to destroy, but eventually when he landed on solid ground, a few Florias with leaf-like wings called Flying Florias were around, dropping explosive seeds on the floor. To take them out, Chopper started spinning like a drill as he rushed toward them, wiping the Florias out instantly.

A large tree trunk covered in stars was in the way forward, along with a few more Darklings and Florias. Much like the other obstacles, they had gone down with a single sword swing. Only now, it had transformed into a giant kendo stick.

"Wow... This is just amazing!" Flyer exclaimed. "An ability like that should destroy _anything_!"

"I won't deny, it's pretty destructive..." Silvera added.

"It's really fun to use!" Chopper smiled, twirling his blade around. "I don't think there's anything that can stop me!"

A sudden roar echoed around them, catching them off guard. The next moment they knew, fire was starting to rain down from the sky.

"Huh? What's going on?!"

"Don't question what's going on! RUN!" Silvera cried.

The three made a run for it as the fire started to spread. No matter how fast Chopper ran, the fire was not getting any farther.

Eventually fire started enveloping the entire jungle around them, leaving nothing but an inferno in their sights.

As the giant fire wave cleared away, Chopper and Flyer stood up from where they ducked. They themselves were not harmed in the slightest, but the same couldn't be said about the jungle...

Replacing the bright, colorful sky was now a fiery orange with no clouds in sight. Many leaves around them had been burned to ash, and the tree bark itself was covered in several flames. Because of the fire, any sign of a luscious green color looked more of a dark yellow-green.

"Oh my..." Silvera remarked, flying out of Chopper.

"The... The jungle..." Chopper gasped, covering his mouth. "How did this happen?"

"I don't think it was a natural cause..." Flyer deduced. "There didn't appear to be anything triggering a fire... Right?"

"Maybe we'll find out..." Silvera said in a serious tone, only to look at Chopper. "Hey... Your ability is gone!"

"Huh?" Chopper felt his head and then looked at his right hand. "Hey... Where'd it go?!"

"I guess that ability has a time limit..." Flyer suspected. "Disappointing...but with its destructive capabilities, I think I understand why that's the case."

"Well... We better find out what's going on here. I don't want my home to turn out like Darkfire Core!"

After Silvera went back into Chopper, he and Flyer pressed forward, finding a small slope to run down. While the sight of this jungle being burned down was horrible, it at least made it easier to see what was around Chopper. For example, the antennae boy was already spotting two loops ahead. He ran down the two and then took a Zip Line toward a waterfall.

"Wait... This is going straight for that waterfall..." Chopper realized, only for his face to be completely covered in water a moment later. Past that, he found himself in a wet, cylindrical cave leading to a single vine.

With the terrain of the cavern, Chopper was running all over the place across the wet floor. Eventually he reached the vine and started to grind on it. This led him to a larger portion of the cavern with a few holes shining light inside. There were also two more vines that he was in between, with one of them having a Star Medal floating above, which Chopper quickly claimed. As for Flyer, he simply flew instead.

But then a stream of fire suddenly shot from the holes, lighting some of the vines on fire. Chopper's eyes widened as he leaped to another vine. To make matters worse, a few more figures were flying through the hole!

Getting a closer look, Chopper noticed that one group was pink with a few tentacles and a large, blue eye. The other was a green, fish-like enemy with a single green stripe going across its body. These flying figures also had a dorsal and tail fin with a black and red design to them, along with eyes far from each other on its elongated head.

"Huh? What the heck are those?!" Chopper gasped as the Monoeyes started firing purple balls of energy his way. He jumped to dodge it, and while in the air, struck a few with a Star Dash. The Wave Angler fired a white, crescent-shaped projectile, but he easily avoided that and stomped on their heads to take them out. "Well... They don't seem to be too tough for me... But what was that fire all of the sudden?"

"Probably the cause of that fire," Flyer answered. "And it's probably going after us as well."

After taking out a Wave Angler with a Star Dash, Chopper was brought back to the center vine via a Dash Ring. Eventually the vine curved upward to a hole above. Thanks to a pair of three red and cyan connected lenses hovering on both sides of the vine called a Dash Rail, he ended up going through a Rainbow Ring that led him straight out of the cavern, all the while performing some tricks.

Landing on solid ground, Chopper spotted a surface a few feet above him. Jumping onto that revealed a few other tall platforms around. Below them was a ground made up of fire.

"This isn't good..." Flyer commented. "I...don't think I need to inform you about this, right?"

"What were you going to tell me?" Chopper wondered.

"...Never mind. Just do what you usually do."

Chopper carefully made his way across the platforms. With his Star Jump, he was able to get over to each on them without much trouble. Add his Long Jump, and the further platforms were no match for him!

Eventually these platforms were spread out more, and had about three paths to take, with two to the left, one ahead, and another to the right. Chopper's attention was drawn to the right path, where for a moment, he swore he saw another star surrounded in a barrier. He jumped across a few more platforms and found a path curving up. On a small platform to his right was a red Item Star surrounded in what appeared to be a red, fiery barrier. Stomping on the star created a translucent red, fiery spherical shield around him.

 _ **Power-up: Fire Shield**_

 _ **Have a problem with fire obstacles? The Fire Shield protects you from any kind of fire! Though, it will go out when in water. The Star Dash has also become enhanced with fire, which can deal fire damage to enemies!**_

"Huh... Well, I'm sure it'll help out!" Chopper smiled, using a Star Boost to burst forward up the curved path. As he landed on higher ground, he spotted a path ahead curving around. As he ran, a few branches on fire dropped from above.

"Heads up, Chopper!" Flyer warned from behind, flying a few feet above.

Chopper had nearly run into one of the fiery branches, but thanks to the Fire Shield, he was able to vault over it without getting hurt. After sliding under another branch and drifting along the curves, he spotted a Dash Ramp. Stepping on it launched the antennae boy over most of the main path. When landing, he found a path going down to a loop and then curving up to a taller surface. Chopper ran through that, and after reaching the tall surface, found a Dash Ring along a vine.

"Gee... I wonder why these places are made for my abilities?" Chopper pondered before getting on the vine and then jumping into the Dash Ring. This launched him to the other side and down another slope. But this ended up bringing him into a more open area of Colossal Jungle. In fact, several huts were here, but with the jungle being on fire, they hadn't been unharmed. A few branches were on a few huts, while some had holes with burn marks on them. "Oh my gosh... What happened here?"

"Oh no... There were innocent people hurt from that fire?" Silvera gasped, flying out of Chopper to get a better look.

Chopper's hands balled into fists and shook just from looking at the damaged huts. But before he could open his mouth to talk, his eyes were drawn to another building. Compared to the others, it was made up of stone, and didn't appear to be damage in the slightest.

"Wait... That one doesn't seem to be damaged."

"You're right. Perhaps there are some survivors?" Flyer wondered.

"Let's find out," Chopper suggested, running over to the stone building. He gave the door a knock, and for a few seconds, there was no response, until two eyes looked through the small peephole it had. Eventually these eyes were gone, and the door had opened.

Behind the door, the three were met with a figure made up of wood with yellow eyes and a small tree on top of its head. It appeared to be wearing clothing made up of leaves as well.

"You... Who are you?" the wooden figure asked.

"I'm... I'm Chopper!"

"Are you...one of them?"

"Them? Who do you mean?"

"Hmph... Well, I guess that answers that. Come in."

The figure stepped out of the way, allowing the three into the house. The walls and floor were made up of mostly stone, but the tables, chairs, and stairs were either wood or leaves. There were more of these wooden figures as well. Some look like they had a few burn marks on them, though.

"Oh, geez... Are you people all right?" Silvera asked, concern in her voice.

"Yes... The fire did damage some of the houses, but there were no Treedo casualties." the Treedo assured. "Unfortunately, we do not know the cause of the fire."

"Wait... You guys are Treedos? I feel like that name sounds familiar..." Chopper recalled. "But I know that the fire suddenly came out of nowhere..."

"Whatever caused it, it wasn't natural, that's for sure," Flyer noted. "We ended up seeing the fire from a cavern we traveled, and suddenly these monsters popped out of nowhere to boot! I have a feeling that they might have something to do with the fire..."

"That might explain it," another Treedo spoke up. "But honestly, that's not the only problem we're running into... The sunlight around here is starting to get dimmer. Without it, we don't know how long we'll be able to live!"

"Sunlight? Wait... That Floweti mentioned something about that."

"Floweti? So, you've run into him." a Treedo wearing a leafy crown around his head said as he approached them. "Yes, it's his doing all right."

"You know him?" Silvera asked.

"Yeah. He and his Florias were like us. We needed sunlight in order to survive. However, we never got along, and competition was very common, especially with locations with most sunlight. Not until recently, though, the sunlight was starting to dimmer. We're not sure how that happened, but I'm betting Floweti and his Florias have something to do with it. It explains why they look so much stronger than before..."

"That's because he's gotten a hold of a Silveader, one of the Silver Stars. That kind of power he might've acquired may be why there isn't as much sunlight here."

"We were chasing that jerk too," Chopper said. "Do you know where he went?"

"Floweti and his Florias reside at the edge of Colossal Jungle, the Floria Greenhouse. It was built for them to gather more sunlight, but with whatever Floweti has... He's bound to be getting more."

"Well, we'll go to that place!" Chopper declared. "And we'll beat him up!"

"I thank you," the Treedo Chief sighed in relief. "But first, I would suggest getting rid of whoever's causing that fire..."

"Yes, we will get to that," Silvera assured. "And please stay in here. We don't want to risk you getting hurt..."

The Treedos nodded while Chopper, Flyer, and Silvera had left the house.

"So... Where do you think this greenhouse place is?" Chopper wondered.

"Well, there's only one path to take," Flyer mentioned, pointing to the pathway ahead.

Before Chopper could go any further, a few Monoeyes and Wave Anglers had flown in and fired projectiles his way. He performed a cartwheel to the side to dodge them, and when one came his way, Chopper inhaled it and spat it at one of the Monoeyes to take it out.

A Wave Angler was about to fire a projectile at him while he was busy taking out some Monoeyes, but Flyer saw this and used his Blast-O to fire shots at the monsters in order to wipe them out.

"Why not draw them away from this area?" Silvera suggested, flying back into Chopper. "You don't want this place receiving any more damage."

"Why didn't I think of that before?" Chopper wondered, landing on the ground. Once Silvera went back into Chopper, he made a run for the path ahead. The enemies watched the dust he left behind and proceeded to follow. Flyer followed behind, aiming his Blast-O at the Monoeyes and Wave Anglers.

While running, Chopper had spotted a few more enemies attempting to get in his way. The Florias were easily taken care of with a Star Dash, but when he spotted a Wizzam and Slash Knight, he jumped off the latter, and while in the air, inhaled the Wizzam to get his Energy ability.

"OK, jerks! Now I'm going to kick your butts!" Chopper declared, using his Dual Energy Whip to take down some Wave Anglers. Then the Monoeyes fired energy balls, which he countered with his Energy Wave. Unfortunately, one of the Monoeyes managed to charge into him, destroying his Fire Shield. But that didn't concern him. Jumping in the air, Chopper fired two lines of orange energy in many directions, which surrounded his body for several feet. Any enemies that got close were wiped out thanks to his Dual Revolution.

When enough enemies were finished, Chopper landed on the ground and decided to run ahead. The area around him was a little more open, which not only meant there was more room to run around, but a few paths were plentiful here! One example was a Pulley not too far to the left going up to one of the trees. The right, meanwhile, had a broken down branch he could slide underneath.

"Hey, Flyer! Let's go to the left!" Chopper yelled, dashing over to the left path. Grabbing the Pulley, he was reeled up to a tree branch covered in fire and included some Starries. Some of the leaves were now black, but they did look like he could land on them. So he leaped from each one while collecting the Starries. Unfortunately, just by standing on one for a few seconds caused it to crumble into ash. Chopper's feet began to flail around as he failed to jump to the last leaf, but then he felt someone grab his arm.

"Don't worry, Chopper. I've got you." Flyer assured, flying Chopper over to the other branch path.

"Whew... Thanks, Flyer!" Chopper sighed in relief. For a moment, he swore he caught the sight of something shiny behind him. Facing the tree he was one, there was a hole with some Hyper Energy revealed. Putting his Backward Somersault to use, he reached the ledge, and after pulling himself up, claimed the Hyper Energy. Afterward, he leaped back down and ran onward.

"I think I can see some more jungle ahead," Silvera informed. "We should get there before it burns up!"

Chopper nodded as he ran down an incline and was launched off a Dash Ramp. He ended up landing on a vine that led him back down to the floor after grinding. There, he found a few more Monoeyes. One Energy Wave wiped them out in an instant.

After a few more turns and slides, Chopper managed to get a Star Medal and found two other pathways meeting up to the main one. Near one of the trees, he spotted a floating pedestal of a star. One of them was orange and resembled his Energy ability. There was another to the right, but it was green and had a sword symbol on it.

"Copy Essences... Hmmmm..." Chopper approached the right Copy Essence, and by touching it, his helmet and sword replaced his jester hat and wands.

"Wait... Those things immediately give you an ability?" Silvera gawked.

"Even I don't understand how those work..." Flyer remarked. "And before you ask... They don't work when I or anyone else touches them."

"Well that stinks..."

After looking at his sword briefly, Chopper put it away and ran ahead. There, he was greeted with a large, open area with many stumps and a few sections of the grass that were lit on fire. Up ahead, however, was the luscious, green leaves and healthy trees.

"I think I can feel Silveader not too far..." Silvera trailed, flying out of Chopper. "We must be near the greenhouse!"

"Yeah, my Holomap is picking up something ahead," Flyer agreed.

"If that Floweti is up ahead... Then we're not too far." Chopper said. "That means we should get the Silver Star in no time!"

As the trio took a step forward, a roar caused them all to recoil.

"It's that roar again!" Silvera gasped. "That means..."

The sky became red as a figure had dropped from above. Their eyes widened just from looking at the large size of this thing. The figure resembled that of a dark red dog with green eyes and two heads, only this was more demonic. Each one had at least one horn on the side of its jaw, with the left having one to the left, and the right to the right. This monster also sported fire on its mane, tail, legs, and feet. Along with that, the demonic dog had bone armor on its spine containing spouts, a spiky collar around their heads with a broken chain, and a brace on its left paw with a broken chain.

"Whoa... That thing's huge!" Silvera gaped.

"So that thing's been causing the fire," Chopper stated, giving the monster a glare. "But what is it?"

"Hmmm... This might be a good time to use my new tool..." Flyer took out another gadget that contained a screen and a blue light on the back. A blue ray had come out from the light and scanned the demonic dog. "My Ray Scanner reveals that this thing is called Twinbellows, a guard dog from the Underworld."

"Underworld? What's that?"

"I...have no idea."

"Well, wherever it came from... I'm going to send it back! ...Or I'm going to take it down!" Chopper declared, approaching Twinbellows. "Hey! I don't like you hurting my home!"

Twinbellows let out another roar, but Chopper remained still, keeping his same glare on the guard dog.

"Hey, you! You're hurting people because of what you did, so I'm going to make sure you stop!" Chopper declared, drawing his sword. "Let's fight!"

Jumping back, Twinbellows opened his mouth and shot a fireball.

 _ **Mid-boss: Twinbellows the Ferocious**_

 ** _This two-headed dog is the one responsible for burning up a part of the jungle! Those fire powers he has can certainly heat things up, whether he's breathing it or lunging!_ **

When the fireball got close, Chopper chose not to move to the side, and instead, swung his sword to send it flying back at Twinbellows. Though it did throw the demonic guard dog back, it didn't look like he was fazed all that much.

Eventually Twinbellows lunged forward and attempted to swipe his claws at him. Chopper jumped back, and with his sword glowing white, he swung it to fire a Sword Wave. The guard dog cried out in pain, but he ended up breathing a stream of fire his way.

"Uh oh..."

Before the fire could get closer, a gust of wind caught the fire, putting it out.

"Don't worry, I've got your back," Flyer assured, his Blast-O aimed at Twinbellows. "I may have been scared back then when I traveled with you... But not anymore."

Twinbellows shot a fireball their way, which Flyer countered by firing a light blue energy shot made up of ice from his blaster. An explosion appeared between the two, giving Chopper the perfect opportunity to run in and rapidly slash at Twinbellows. However, it wasn't long until the guard dog felt where he attacked and swung his arm to knock him back.

As the smoke cleared away, Twinbellows leaped back and started breathing more fireballs. Chopper decided to be agile this time and dodged them, whether it was by jumping over, to the side, or sliding under them. The moment he got back to Twinbellows, he swung upward while leaping in the air with his Upward Slash. Before the guard dog could swipe at him, Flyer stunned him with a yellow electric shot.

"Go for it, Chopper!" Flyer exclaimed.

"Right!" Chopper nodded, performing his Air Slash, which consisted of him slashing rapidly at his opponent. To finish his combo, he performed an overhead swing downward with his Sword Dive.

Twinbellows let out a roar that was enough to throw Chopper back. He then jumped back and started moving all over the place while resembling that of a fiery comet. Chopper managed to dodge a few of its charges, but the last was enough to send him crashing into one of the trees.

"Chopper! Are you all right?!" Flyer cried. The next thing he knew, a fireball struck him and knocked the Wingel toward one of the stumps.

Before Twinbellows could charge, Chopper sped in and sent the demonic guard dog flying with a Star Dash. Needless to say, Silvera's eyes were widened in disbelief.

Twinbellows growled angrily as he stood up and began to breathe two streams of fire. Moving their heads caused the fire to move around as well. Chopper leaped in the air to dodge, only for his arm to be caught by something above. Seeing Flyer above made the hero smile.

"Hey... Maybe we should use our Whirlwind Launch Team Attack!" Chopper suggested. "Try throwing me at that thing, I'll hit it with a Drill Stab!"

"You got it!" Flyer nodded as he started to whirl around until he became a literal tornado. After enough speed, he threw Chopper with all his might, who held his sword's tip in front to deliver a powerful blow to Twinbellows. "There you go! We can do that attack again once I'm not feeling exhausted from it."

As Chopper landed, Twinbellows growled and swiped his claws. Chopper drew a round, green shield with a yellow star in the center. While it helped block the attack, it didn't stop him from being thrown backwards.

Once Chopper finally came to a halt, Twinbellows roared once more and started shooting fireballs their way. Putting on a serious look, Chopper ran toward the guard dog and fired several Sword Waves. These cut through the fireballs and destroyed them. The last one managed to hit Twinbellows, and although it struck him, it didn't have the same effect as the fireballs.

Twinbellows charged with all of its might at the pale green boy, but he was no match for his speed as he quickly dodged to the side. The demonic guard dog turned around and charged his way ahead, but the results were the same. When it charged at him again, Chopper leaped in the air and started swinging his sword while performing a somersault. Not only did this make Twinbellows lose control, but it bumped into one of the trees.

"I think this thing is almost finished," Flyer informed. "Don't hold anything back on this monster, OK?"

"Don't worry, I won't," Chopper assured, watching Twinbellows recover from the hit. He jumped over to him and swung his paw, but Chopper easily leaped over that. While in the air, he performed another Air Slash faster than before, then when Twinbellows opened his mouths to breathe fire, he struck it with a Star Dash.

As Twinbellows was thrown back, its two heads kept breathing fireballs his way. Flyer used his wings to create a whirlwind to put them out, allowing Chopper to fire a few more Sword Waves at the demonic guard dog. To everyone's surprise, he dodged them by leaping high in the air and landing on the opposite side.

"That thing can jump _that_ high?" Silvera gawked.

"Yes, it's weird how something that big can have such a high jump," Flyer remarked.

Roaring, Twinbellows started breathing fireballs into the air. These started to rain down, forcing everyone to constantly move around to avoid them. To make matters worse, the Underworld dog was breathing two streams of fire that it was constantly moving.

But despite this, Chopper had no problem dodging any of these attacks. He leaped over the fire stream, while he sliced through the fireballs. Charging toward Twinbellows, he delivered another Drill Stab, but when close, he performed an Upward Slash to launch himself in the air. Twinbellows's eyes widened as Chopper swiftly used his Air Slash to deliver over twenty sword swings to him.

When landing, Chopper sped backwards, and with his sword glowing white, he fired a white Sword Wave. Like before, the attack sliced through Twinbellows body, only this time, his body froze the moment it hit.

Eventually Twinbellows had stood on its back legs, let out a painful howl, and exploded into a purple light that formed a large column. When the explosion had gone away, the sky had turned back to normal, while the fire around them had disappeared.

Smiling, Chopper twirled his sword around before placing it on his back.

"I don't get it..." Silvera began. "You seem to have this small attention span...yet you're able to do _that_ to something huge?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Chopper questioned.

"...Never mind," the Silver Star sighed.

"Anyway, now that that monster is out of the way, we need to get to that greenhouse," Flyer stated. "Hopefully it's not too far."

"Yeah! Let's go!" Chopper nodded, running forward.

To Chopper, it felt nice being back in the luscious green jungle. It was also nice that it looked absolutely gorgeous around here to boot judging by all of the colorful mushrooms, colorful flowers, and the healthy trees and leaves.

 _"Wow... This looks a lot nicer than where I live!"_ Chopper thought. _"How come it's like this?"_

His questioned was eventually answered when he spotted a large greenhouse ahead. He came to a sudden halt when the entrance was just a few feet ahead of him.

Though it was hard to tell what the entire place looked like, Chopper could see that most of the roof and walls were completely transparent, revealing all of the plant life inside. But the sheer size of it was enough to leave him with widened eyes.

Even Flyer and Silvera were surprised when they got a look at the greenhouse for themselves.

"Well... I guess we've finally made it..." Flyer said, looking at the greenhouse in awe. "Normally greenhouses are pretty small...not this ginormous."

"One thing for certain is that Silveader is somewhere in there..." Silvera stated. "And we can't let that Floweti hold onto him any longer."

"All right, then let's take the place down!" Chopper declared, running toward the door. To his surprise, it ended up opening on its own. He was about to question that, but he quickly shook his head and pressed forward.

"Hang on, Silveader..." Silvera mumbled. "We'll set you free..."

* * *

 **Well, stuff is certainly happening here... More so than the first arc of my previous two stories. But things should get even more real in the last two chapters of the Clara Arc.**


	7. Greenhouse Effect

Chapter 7: Greenhouse Effect

While the exterior was enough to make the trio stare in awe, the interior made them question mentally if they were just seeing things.

Luscious plants were all over Floria Greenhouse. While most were green, there were also a variety of different flowers as well.

But the fact that there were hover cars flying around here was the scariest part.

"Is it just me, or does it feel hotter in here?" Chopper wondered, fanning himself with his own hand.

"Wait... That's what surprises you the most?" Silvera gawked. "Not the vehicles?"

"Well... Yeah."

"Of course..."

 _"I have finally made my return!"_ a voice echoed around them. _"Florias, I bring beautiful news! Our plan is almost complete! Once the star is put into the Solar Cannon, it should give us enough power to steal away all of the gorgeous solar energy from the sun!"_

"That...jerk!" Chopper frowned. "I like the sun! And stars! ...And the energy coming from them!"

"This is not only dangerous for this world, but others too," Flyer said, worry in his voice. "My home planet could be in danger thanks to him!"

"Then let's find that cannon and get rid of it!" the antennae boy declared as Silvera flew back into him.

Flyer nodded in agreement before he followed Chopper ahead. They passed by several vegetation; some were simply grass, while there were even some pretty trees, then there were the carnivorous plants that tried taking a bite out of them. Chopper easily leaped over its mouth and stomped on its head to turn it to dust.

After passing by a few more vegetation, the two stopped at a round portion of the floor with a symbol of a flower on it. Strangely, despite this place being a greenhouse, there were a few benches lying around.

Unfortunately, it just so happened that a few Florias were sitting on these benches.

"Hey... Who the heck are those people?" a purple Floria questioned.

"Beats me... But should they be around here?" a red one wondered.

"You idiots... Of course they can't be here!" a blue Floria growled. "We must attack at once!"

The Florias were about to make their assault, but one slash from Chopper's sword turned them into dust.

When they were clear of any enemies, Chopper could finally get a look at the place. Neon lights were plentiful here, whether they were on signs or were giant words on a few buildings off in the distance. The orange floor was also pretty translucent, revealing more of the place down below.

"This place just keeps getting weirder by the minute..." Silvera trailed. "Although I can see some other routes below... It's best that you probably stay on this one."

Chopper nodded before he decided to take off. The road went down a slight incline, giving him some increased speed, but eventually it became flat. Along the way, several petals slowly descended from above. A few landed on Chopper's hat, but at the speed he was going, they ended up floating off. There were many golden statues of Floweti with the hands facing upward. Water from the petals were flowing down into those hands and into the small fountain surrounding the statue.

Already Chopper could see the path coming to an end when he found the floor's edge ahead. Luckily, there was already a pathway below, but there was also a vine coming from one of the trees to the side above the floor. When close, Chopper jumped forward and landed on the vine, which he used to grind over most of the path below until about halfway. After launching off, he was running at full speed. Well, until a Wide Spring launched him to a taller surface.

After a few small jumps, Chopper spotted a few Florias. A purple Floria called a Floria Shooter was firing small seeds from its mouth. Chopper sliced through these, and using his Drill Stab, he took out the Floria Shooter and Floria Cutter in his way. Once he found a Pulley ahead, he dashed toward it, grabbed it, and was pulled up to higher ground.

Unfortunately, a yellow Floria called an Electric Floria was there to greet him. One shot from its electric petals was able to knock away Chopper's Sword ability. He ended up taking the Electric Floria out with a Star Dash.

Several feet ahead, Chopper spotted two branching paths. The left side appeared to be leading to what appeared to be a pond. As for the right, it was going to a vine rail, which seemed to lead to several more plants.

After his eyes looked both ways several times, Chopper eventually took the left path. He ended up running down a small hill before reaching the large pond. With the momentum he had, running across the water was no problem for him! It also helped that there were some Starries lined up for him to grab as well.

Several water lilies were around as well. Each of them had a Floria that was ready to bring him down. Chopper dodged their projectiles and passed a water lily with a Star Medal on it. After grabbing that, he spotted what appeared to be a green Item Star on one of the water lilies. Using his Star Dash, he smashed through the star, absorbed its energy, and suddenly found his speed increasing dramatically.

 _ **Power-up: Speed Up**_

 _ **It's time to speed up! As long as you don't run into anything, moving forward should be no problem!**_

"Slow down, Chopper!" Flyer called out. "We can't keep up with you going so much faster!"

"It's not me! I ran into something that made me faster!" Chopper replied before looking ahead. His eyes widened at the sight of a red Fire Floria that shot fiery petals his way. He dodged them by leaping over the Fire Floria and landing back on the water while maintaining his momentum.

Things got even crazier when the pond had formed a small waterfall. Chopper had leaped down, only to be caught off guard by an even bigger pond.

"Huh? What the heck is this?" Chopper gawked.

"A giant fountain..." Flyer gawked. "I never thought I'd see such a spectacle..."

"Uhhh... This really isn't anything special." Silvera remarked. "Especially with what I've seen..."

While running across the pond, Chopper saw one path to the right with a Zip Line. Making a turn there, he grabbed it and was taken away from the giant fountain. After going through a few leaves, Chopper landed on a path that resembled that of a stream. At the same time, he felt the power-up already going away.

Splashing water was the loudest thing heard by Chopper as he raced toward the yellow Dash Ramp with rainbow arrows, otherwise known as a Trick Ramp. By launching in the air, he performed a few tricks that helped maintain some better mobility in the air, thus allowing him to reach the Rainbow Ring that sent him flying through more leaves. It made things more awesome when Chopper was performing some spinning tricks as well.

Landing on solid, white ground, Chopper's eyes caught sight of a pathway leading to a door to his right. Sure, there was the main path ahead, but something was definitely grabbing his attention over there...

When Flyer reached Chopper, he noticed him approaching the right pathway, so they followed him up to the door. A blue Floria called a Water Floria was guarding it, as was a Fire Floria, Electric Floria, and Wizzam. Chopper simply inhaled them and spat them out as stars to wipe them out.

Entering the door caught them all by surprise when they spotted a large terminal in a large room. There were a few others to the left and right, but the one ahead stood out the most, having different colored buttons.

"This is interesting..." Silvera commented, flying out of Chopper.

"Yeah... What is this?" Chopper wondered, running up to the terminal. The moment he looked at the buttons, his body instantly froze. "Uh oh... I don't know what any of this does!"

"Let me take a look," Flyer flew over to the terminal and examined it. "Hmmmm... Let's see here..."

Immediately the Wingel started pressing buttons, leaving Silvera with widened eyes.

"Wait... What are you doing?! Do you have any idea how risky this could be?!" Silvera exclaimed.

"I've done plenty of this stuff, trust me," Flyer assured before turning to the terminal. The three spotted a picture of what appeared to be a yellow laser cannon with different colored petals decorated on it. "This must be the Solar Cannon Floweti was talking about... Hmmmm... Maybe..."

"What are you planning?"

"This terminal appears to be linked to that cannon. If I can hack its database, I might be able to disable it!"

"And you really think you can do that?" Silvera wondered.

"Are you kidding me? I've been doing this kind of stuff for years! Sure, it might take some time, but it should work!"

"Well, if you think so..."

"I'm certain," Flyer smiled, bringing his attention to Chopper. "Chopper, while I'm taking care of this, why don't you go pay Floweti a visit and get that Silver Star from him?"

"Yeah!" Chopper nodded with a jump.

"Excellent! I'll try to contact you through your Holocator in case if anything comes up."

"I'll try."

"I guess I'm going with you..." Silvera trailed while flying back into Chopper.

Waving goodbye, Chopper made a dash out of the room and back to the main path. Now that he didn't have anyone following him, he didn't have to worry about waiting for anyone to catch up, which was no problem for him!

"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave Flyer in there alone?" Silvera asked.

"I think so..." Chopper replied.

"You _think_ so?"

"Well... He's done plenty of things like this... But let's just go for now."

Chopper was able to regain his speed down a small incline, which led to another Trick Ramp. Launching into the air, he performed some tricks to land above the three vines, which just so happened to have a group of flying cars.

"Whoa... I might need to be careful here..." Chopper trailed, trying to maintain his balance. "OK... I better jump quickly!"

While leaping from car to car and collecting some orange Starries, along with a yellow one, a few Florias noticed him and climbed onto the car's roof. But he easily did away with them with his inhaling, or with a Star Dash.

However, one car grabbed his attention compared to the others. On a blue car was a yellow Item Star. Chopper jumped to that car, and by hitting it and absorbing its energy, an Electric Shield surrounded him once more.

"Yay! Another one of these shields!" Chopper cheered, using his extra jump through his Star Jump to make it much easier for him. In fact, it wasn't long until he finally reached solid ground below. "Whew... It feels good not to be on those things..."

After stretching his arms, Chopper pressed forward. Eventually he came across another large fountain. The only difference was that the water around here was shallow, and a few sprinkles were near the fountain, shooting water at the many plants around.

 _"The Beautiful Floweti here!"_ Floweti announced. " _I'd just like to inform people to keep their filthy hands off those three Solar Capsules. You never know what might happen to those pretty things..."_

"Solar Capsules...?"

"I'd try not to forget that, Chopper..." Silvera suggested.

As Chopper pondered, a seed came his way, which he quickly ducked underneath. He then looked nearby and spotted a Floria Shooter and Floria Cutter. However, there was also a brand new enemy that contrasted greatly to the Florias. For starters, this wasn't even a Floria. It was a small, orange figure with white eyes around Chopper's size, but it was. It wore a white helmet, and it had red shoulder pads, silver gauntlets, and also red feet. In its hand was a silver chakram.

This enemy, named a Major Dice, threw the chakram in Chopper's direction. The Floria Cutter did something similar, but he was able to dodge this without a problem. Both enemies got on the way, but it gave Chopper the opportunity to inhale the Boomer Rang.

Now a silver helmet with a pair of split chakrams on the side appeared on his head. Other details to the hat included a round, golden crest on the front, and a white stripe going along the middle of the helmet vertically. In his hand, meanwhile, was a silver chakram.

 _ **Copy Ability: Chakram**_

 _ **It's time to put your throwing skills to use! Throw your chakram and let it cut down ropes or vines! Aim up or down, or charge up for a Hyper Chakram! You can even use a Chakram Barrage to throw several chakrams at your enemies! Get up close and use a Chakram Dash, or take foes down with the Chakram Melee! Don't forget that it can collect items from a distance too!**_

The Floria Shooter started firing seeds Chopper's way, but he simply drew his chakram and threw it fast enough to slice through the projectiles. When the chakram struck the Floria Shooter, it was sent flying back and eventually became nothing but dust.

Upon catching his chakram, Chopper whirled around to face the Floria Cutter. It swung its vine blades, but he blocked the hit and used his weapon to swing twice. His final attack involved Chopper throwing his chakram and letting his enemy get caught in the attack, which was enough to wipe out the Floria Cutter.

"I think this ability is good against these guys," Chopper commented as he caught his chakram. He focused back to the fountain. There were at least two more levels above, and each one got smaller.

Unfortunately, getting up there was a bit difficult for Chopper. Not even his Backward Somersault or Star Jump were able to help him get up. But then he noticed a water spout shooting upward. Getting the idea thanks to the vertical line of red Starries, he leaped into it and was pushed up to the top. This allowed him to reach the second level of the fountain, where a few more Florias were present, including a Raging Floria and a green Floria called a Floria Petal.

The moment those petals fired from the Floria Petal, Chopper had jumped to the side to dodge it. While in the air, he threw his chakram at the enemy, wiping it out in an instantly. After catching his weapon, he threw it at the Raging Floria. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to make it flinch in the slightest, leaving Chopper gawking after catching his chakram.

But then he looked at the stem on this flower monster before looking back at the chakram in his hands. Smiling, Chopper ran toward the Raging Floria, and before it could lunge, he swung his chakram while dashing past it via his Chakram Dash. The Raging Floria's mouth was left wide open before exploding into dust.

Getting up to the top part of the fountain was easy. It wasn't as high, so Chopper was able to get up there with his Triple Jump. Past the fountain, he spotted a green capsule with many petals decorated on it.

"Huh? What's this?" Chopper wondered, approaching the capsule.

 _"Chopper! Can you hear me?"_

Chopper nearly yelped as his feet slightly lifted off the ground. He looked around for the voice, but then he noticed a glow coming from his person. Checking his inventory, he took out the Holocator and spotted a transparent hologram of Flyer.

"Oh... Flyer! How is...whatever you're doing?"

 _"It's going fine... Except, well... I've encountered a problem."_ Flyer stated, making Chopper blink in surprise. _"Apparently there's something blocking my hacking. I've tried to find ways around it, but none of them seemed to work... But then I found the source of the problem. Apparently there are three Solar Capsules around the Floria Greenhouse. If you can destroy them, then I should be able to get through."_

"Destroy capsules?" Chopper looked at the one in front of him. "Hey, Floweti mentioned something about three capsules."

 _"Really?"_

"Yeah... And I might've found one of them..."

 _"Excellent! I think you know what to do."_

"At least you remembered _something_ important for once..." Silvera mumbled.

Chopper smiled as he put his Holocator away and stared at the Floria Capsule. With one Star Dash, he had created a hole through it, causing it to explode. Chopper found himself gawking when he noticed sunlight fly out of the capsule.

"Wow..."

With very little remaining from the capsule, Chopper ran onward toward the path ahead. He found a vine going to the left, while the main pathway was going down an incline and loop. For now, Chopper decided to keep going on the main path.

"Weeee!" Chopper cheered, running down the slope and the loop. There was a Dash Ramp waiting for him ahead, but there was also a Dash Ring above. He decided to leap to it and get launched to several trees with flat surfaces. A few vines with buds were around, but the left treetop had something sparkling in the tall grass.

Chopper used the branches to speed over to the left treetop, and after clearing away another Raging Floria, he cut down the tall grass with his chakram. Revealed underneath was some Hyper Energy.

"Yay!" Chopper smiled, grabbing the glowing energy sphere and putting it away. "I think that's five so far..."

Afterward, he jumped onto the next treetop and found a Zip Line that brought him back to the ground. Up ahead was a corkscrew loop that he ran through with the help of his Star Dash.

Unfortunately, his running hadn't lasted too long after running down another slope. The path curved up, and he was launched upward. Surprisingly, there was an upper path above him made up of a giant vine.

Landing on the upper path, Chopper noticed how the terrain was constantly going up and down, so when he ran, there were times when he was slowing down and then speeding up. However, with his Star Dash, he didn't have to worry about that. Eventually a Dash Ramp launched him to another path that went into a corkscrew. Up ahead, he spotted a giant figure of Floweti with an open mouth.

"I don't like the look of that thing..." Chopper mumbled, running along the curved path and going through another corkscrew. A Dash Ramp was at the end, and it launched him toward the giant figure's mouth. Coincidentally, there happened to be a tunnel decorated with many different flowers on the floor.

Yet all of this was ignored as Chopper continued his run. Well, until he stopped at a circular area ahead filled with many flowers. Some were even giant and acted like platforms.

But his attention was quickly drawn to a few Water Florias that were watering the plants. He would've attacked them, but considering that they weren't doing anything at the moment, Chopper stopped himself. That, and he swore that he could hear words coming out of their mouths.

"Why are we even watering these plants? We're inside of the Floweti figure, for crying out loud!" the first Water Floria complained.

"Well, we do have those Solar Capsules that make sure these plants get their energy." the second explained. "...Come to think of it, that probably explains why we're still standing."

"But there's a water spout in the center here! There's plenty of water for these plants!"

"...Good point," the third Water Floria realized, turning its head. The moment it spotted Chopper, its eyes widened. "Oh, geez... It's that gumball-shaped kid Chopper!"

"Chopper? Who the heck is that?" the first Water Floria questioned.

"The hero of this planet, you idiot! ...What do we do?"

"We do what every minion does and attack," the second answered, who turned to face Chopper.

They exchanged looks before shrugging and charging Chopper's way. By charging power into his chakram, Chopper threw a larger, more powerful attack with his Hyper Chakram. The Water Florias didn't even stand a chance.

After catching his chakram, Chopper took a look at the flower platforms. Some were unfortunately too high for him to reach on his own.

"Oh... I wish Flyer was here to help me up there." Chopper frowned, but his attention was then brought to the small water spout in the center. "Maybe I can have some water?"

"Wait, what?" Silvera gawked. "Maybe you should think of a way to get up there instead."

He leaped over to the spout, but just as he touched it, the pale green hero was suddenly launched upward. Not only was he higher up in the room, but reaching the flower platforms was easy, as was collecting a few Starries around.

"...Never mind," the Silver Star sighed.

After leaping from platform to platform, he landed on the path and found a vine to grind across. Thanks to a Dash Rail, his speed increased as he spotted another vine to his left. After leaping over to it, the vine formed a loop he went through until it came to an end. That was when he landed in another open area with plenty of more plants, mushrooms, and trees. A few neon arrows pointed in plenty of directions.

Oh, and more Floweti statues; now in neon lights!

"Why is his face everywhere?" Chopper wondered, scratching his head with his gloved finger.

"Probably because he has a giant ego," Silvera said bluntly.

As he tried to figure out what was going on, a Floria Petal had jumped in and struck Chopper. Though he was thrown back by the attack, only his Electric Shield was destroyed. The Floria Petal went in for another attack, but Chopper's Chakram Dash easily took care of it.

"OK... Now which way do I go?" Chopper pondered, taking notice of three paths to take. The one ahead appeared to go toward the main path and was filled with many flowers to run past. The left looked like it had plenty of more flower platforms and flying cars. As for the right, he could already see that loop going to a giant tree. "Ummmm... Maybe I should go left?"

With a Star Boost charged up, Chopper ran toward the left pathway. He first ran up the path curving upward, allowing him to land on the flower platforms. Below, meanwhile, was another small pool of water with a few Florias down there.

Chopper jumped from platform to platform to reach the other side, where he found a Dash Ramp. He launched off it, but he saw no sign of any pathway ahead.

"Uhhhh... Where do I go from here?" Chopper wondered, only for his attention to be drawn to a flying car going over him. Instincts suddenly kicked in as he grabbed a hold of a handle and was flown away. "OK... I'm fine... Now I just need to find a place to land."

Eventually he came across another path not too far ahead. And it just so happened that the car was going straight for it! When he was over that portion, Chopper let go and began to free fall down. Along the fall, he found a Star Medal that he quickly grabbed.

Landing on the floor, Chopper ran off through another loop and another curved path. In another circular portion of the path was a Solar Capsule.

"There's another Solar Capsule, Chopper," Silvera informed.

"Yeah!" Chopper smiled, readying his chakram. "Time to destroy it!"

With a Hyper Chakram thrown, the capsule exploded, releasing its solar energy.

"Yes! That's two of them!"

 _"You've got two of them? Excellent!"_ Flyer said in a pleasing tone. _"My progress is already going well! Just find one more, and I should be able to hack into that Solar Cannon and turn it off!"_

"OK!" Chopper nodded, jumping over the destroyed capsule and running forward. He caught a glimpse of a few more flying cars above him along the way.

Chopper spotted a sharp turn ahead, and he would've come to a halt to veer to the right, but the sign of a green, flat panel with a black, endless moving treadmill on it with yellow arrows. Just by stepping on this Dash Panel, Chopper was running in the direction it was pointing at.

"I hope I'm not too far from Floweti..." Chopper trailed, vaulting over a large vine that was in the way of the road. "Then I can get that Silver Star from him!"

He spotted a path to his right that had a giant vine curving up, while up ahead were several cars he could hitch a ride on. For now, Chopper took the right path and was suddenly running up the tall vine road that was going to a giant tree.

Chopper did a few flips as he landed on the giant treetop. He could get a clearer look at all of the stuff below him, along with the glass dome surrounding this entire place. However, his attention was mainly drawn to a large building ahead with flower petals. In bright neon lights were the words, "Floweti's Palace".

"Oh... Flyer, I can see Floweti's place ahead!" Chopper announced. "He was nice enough to put it up!"

"That's good for you...and very idiotic of him," Silvera commented.

 _"Precisely,"_ Flyer agreed. _"But you need to find that last Solar Capsule. Otherwise I can't stop that Solar Cannon."_

"Yeah," Chopper nodded, spotting a Raging Floria that lunged at him. He jumped back, and with his Hyper Chakram, he threw his weapon at its stem, taking it out easily.

 _"The Beautiful Floweti here!"_ Floweti's echoed voice announced through the Floria Greenhouse. _"I hope you Florias are enjoying my lovely greenhouse. Everything here is considered to be greener than anything else on this planet! And everyone knows that true beauty comes from nature!"_

"I guess he's right," Chopper said as he found a giant vine path in the shape of a half-pipe going down a large slope.

" _Unfortunately, it seems that there's been an intrusion going around here... Not that we've ever had intruders in the past. Just ask good old Trinado!"_

"Trinado's been here?" Chopper gawked.

"Trinado? Oh, right. He had a castle you mentioned."

"Yeah... And I guess he came here too." Chopper said as his speed increased down the incline, all the while collecting the Starries along the way.

 _"I'd just like to make sure everyone knows that we do not tolerate others coming here to take our precious solar energy,"_ Floweti noted. _"You of all people would probably understand that, Chopper. After all, you don't tolerate people taking over this world."_

"Huh? He knows I'm here?!"

"Well, we weren't being subtle when infiltrating this place..." Silvera noted.

 _"It's not our fault that those people don't seem to use the energy from the sun that much. Their intelligence is unfortunately not up to ours."_

Just hearing that made Chopper frown. The selfishness of this guy and the fact that he believed that the sun's energy belonged to _him_? Awful.

"That jerk," Chopper commented, running through a loop and onto a bigger treetop. "My planet and the others will be hurt without that sun's energy!"

After running through a tall loop, the path eventually went down to the flat ground, where Chopper found a long path going up to the palace entrance. However, some tall grass was in the way, but that was no problem just by cutting through via his chakram.

Hidden behind the grass, however, left Chopper in surprise.

"Hey... That's an invincibility power-up!" Chopper gasped, seeing a rainbow Item Star covered in sparkles. The moment he grabbed it, it absorbed into him, causing Chopper to be covered in sparkles.

 _ **Power-up: Invincibility**_

 _ **Chopper is invincible! No enemies stand a chance once you run into them! Hurry now, before its power runs out in fifteen seconds!**_

With invincibility in his hands, Chopper made a mad dash ahead. Any Florias that stood in his way were sent flying in the air before exploding into dust.

"You don't even need to attack them in order to wipe them out? Interesting..." Silvera remarked.

"Yeah! And I like it!" Chopper cheered, running down a slope, through a loop, and then a corkscrew while clearing away the enemies.

The moment he reached the large staircase leading to Floweti's Palace, he spotted the final Solar Capsule.

"There it is, Flyer!" Chopper announced. "I'll destroy it so you can get to work on...whatever you're doing!"

As he made his way up the stairs, he spotted a few tall platforms around him. Some were being held up by a small vine. One of these happened to have some Hyper Energy to boot!

Thankfully, with his Chakram ability, he was able to bring those tall platforms down by throwing his chakram at them. Any Florias that were underneath got crushed as a result. But for Chopper, he was able to claim the Hyper Energy to his left after using a Wall Jump to get up to it.

"OK, that's six now!" Chopper smiled, putting it away before running onward and plowing down the rest of the Florias.

Once at the top of the staircase, Chopper charged into the Solar Capsule and destroyed it. By the time all of the sunlight was gone, his invincibility wore off.

"I did it, Flyer!"

 _"Excellent! I seem to be getting through now!"_ Flyer announced. _"It might take some time for me to stop that cannon... So in the meantime, go handle Floweti, OK?"_

"Got it!" Chopper nodded, using a Star Dash to break through the door ahead.

While the greenhouse itself was filled with many wondrous plants, everything here was even more luscious thanks to the vegetation being a brighter green. To make things even more strange, a few of the plants came in different kinds of colors.

But all of that was ignored by Chopper as he ran up a small staircase leading to a flower door and entered a long hallway filled with many flowers. Several Floria Cutters, Floria Shooters, and Floria Petals patrolled this area, but Chopper cleared them out with another Star Dash.

Eventually Chopper came to a sudden halt when he was right in front of a large door with Floweti's face on it. To the side, meanwhile, were three Copy Essences of Energy, Sword, and Chakram. Chakram's Copy Essence was gray and had a chakram on it. Below those was some food, which Chopper ate to recover any damage he took. Afterward, he brought his attention back to to the door.

"OK... He must be through here..." Chopper trailed, clenching his fists and putting on a determined look. "I'll show him what happens when you mess with my planet!"

"Hopefully Silveader is safe as well..." Silvera added.

With another Star Dash, Chopper burst through the door.

* * *

 **A greenhouse with futuristic vehicles and other things? Yeah, it's crazy, but don't worry! It's running on solar energy, I swear!**

 **Anyway, prepare for the final chapter of the Clara Arc next chapter! Things go down in that chapter, that's for sure!**


	8. Evil Under Beauty

Chapter 8: Evil Under Beauty

Chopper had come to another halt when he burst through the door and into a large room. All over the walls were several vines filled with different flowers such as roses. Many gardens containing a variety of flowers were to the left and right. Finally, there was the throne ahead, which resembled that of a sunflower, and beside that was a large, red curtain.

And Floweti happened to be sitting on the throne with a glass in his hand.

"Well, if it isn't Chopper," Floweti said nonchalantly. "I figured you'd finally arrive to my _gorgeous_ greenhouse."

"That's right, and I'm here to stop you from doing...well, you're hurting my planet with what you're doing!" Chopper exclaimed.

"Hurting the planet? If you ask me, what I'm doing is more beneficial to the planet. ...At least, the _beautiful_ side of it."

"And what's that?"

Floweti chuckled. "Mine, obviously."

"Of course..." Silvera deadpanned.

"But people use that sun! Others use it too, right?"

"Yes, that is true, my dear friend. The sun is very important to every galaxy. Unfortunately, no other race on this planet has ever put the sun to good use. Obviously we Florias have evolved far beyond the rest of the people on Clara. They most likely get their energy from stuff that isn't environmentally-friendly. Not only are we doing something that won't harm the environment, but the energy we receive is limitless! It's so foolish of them not to realize that."

"But the sun's a star, right?"

"Of course... That... _Oh_." Floweti blinked in realization as he looked down at Chopper. "Oh, I see... You've come this way to stop me so you can have that sun's energy all to yourself. Apparently your kind can absorb Star Energy to get some kind of power-up. You call me bad for what I'm doing? Well look at you, Hypocrite of Clara!"

"Wait... Huh?" Chopper gawked. "But..."

"We Florias are just trying to live healthy lives. You? That sun's energy isn't something you need, right? The fact that you're trying to take our precious sunlight sounds very... _bad_ of you." Floweti smirked, taking a sip of his water. "Without the sun, I wouldn't be able to keep my _beautiful_ self the way it is now!"

"I... Ummmm..."

 _"Chopper, don't let him get to you!"_ Flyer shouted through the Holocator. _"He's just trying to fool you into thinking that he's in the right!"_

"Yeah, it's so obvious," Silvera scoffed.

"Oh... Yeah." Chopper nodded, regaining his determined look. "Hey... You're just trying to trick me, aren't you?"

"Well... Maybe. But I wouldn't put myself in the wrong here." Floweti said as he took another sip of his water."

"The Treedos said that you were stealing the sun from them!"

"Oh, yes..." the colorful flower frowned while lowering his glass. "Too bad for them. We Florias never liked the Treedos...or anyone else in Colossal Jungle for that matter. Good thing we won't have to worry about them once the _pretty_ Solar Cannon fires! Behold!"

Opening the curtains on the wall, a large cannon painted yellow with many different colored petals was revealed and aimed out the window.

" _Lovely_ , isn't it? I came up the design myself."

"I...think I can tell," Chopper replied, looking between Floweti and the Solar Cannon. "But... I think that thing isn't going to work for you!"

"Why? Because your friend is trying to hack into its database?" Floweti answered, making Chopper blink in surprise. "It's quite obvious. That room isn't exactly hidden, you know. I just didn't send anyone to stop him because that won't be a necessity with the help of the star I found!"

"Wait... You mean...?" Silvera gasped as she flew out of Chopper. The moment she saw the inanimate Silver Star come out, her eyes widened. "Silveader!"

"Ah, what's this? You have another one with you, Chopper? Now this is getting interesting... If I beat you, then I can also get a hold of that star as well!"

"As if I'd let you get your hands on me."

"We'll see about that," Floweti smirked as he opened the Solar Cannon's hatch and threw his Silver Star inside. It started to glow white as the room began to tremor, causing Chopper to lose his balance.

"Flyer... That thing's working!" Chopper gasped, seeing a bright, yellow laser suddenly fire out and toward the direction of the sun.

 _"Oh, man... I wasn't expecting this..."_ Flyer gulped. _"Ummmm... Try to destroy it!"_

Chopper nodded and took readied his chakram, but suddenly a sharp petal flew his way and knocked the chakram out of his hand.

"You destroy that thing, and the explosion will be enough to destroy the planet," Floweti warned. "And we can't have that now..."

"Crud..." Silvera trailed.

"I... You're a jerk!" Chopper exclaimed.

"I think a _gorgeous_ genius is more accurate," Floweti chuckled. "It won't be long until the sun's energy will only shine down upon my greenhouse. Now there's no way I will ever lose this _pretty_ face ever again! ...Unfortunately, the rest of this planet and others will have to suffer, but sometimes you have to take risks..."

Floweti took a sip from his water and covered his mouth while chuckling. But when he opened his eyes, they widened the moment a chakram flew his way. The Floria leader ducked as it flew over him and came back to Chopper.

"Excuse me, but it's rude to attack me while I'm drinking my water. Then again, you're probably not one for manners, are you?"

"I'm not going to let you get away with this!" Chopper declared, glaring at the Floria leader.

"Hmph... If it hadn't been for that attack, I would've at least offered you to stay here if you valued your life... But I guess that's not the case." Floweti placed his glass on the arm of his throne. "Of course, politely asking you to leave probably won't go through that stubborn head of yours... Ah well... I suppose taking care of you personally will have to do."

"OK... Then you better get ready to get your butt kicked." Chopper made a dash for Floweti, but the moment he put his hand in front of him, he froze in place.

"Please, not in here... I wouldn't want to damage my _beautiful_ flowers."

Chopper blinked as he looked over at the flowers. "Oh... I guess that makes sense."

"For crying out loud..." Silvera sighed, smacking her forehead.

"If you wouldn't mind..." Floweti began as he stepped back. "Allow me to show you our fighting arena."

Floweti twirled around in the manner of a ballerina as he approached the center of the room. Suddenly, a portal in the shape of a flower appeared and started sucking everything in.

Well, everything that wasn't the flowers, Floweti, the curtains, or the cannon.

"H-Huh?! What's going on?!" Chopper gasped, feeling the current pull him closer. He turned around to run, but his feet had already been lifted off the ground. At this point, the pale green boy was running in air.

It wasn't long until he was pulled into the portal and brought into an entire new realm. Everything around him appeared in distorted colors, mainly red, yellow, green, blue, and purple. However, many flowers were flying all over the place in the background. Even some petals were raining from above.

Chopper slowed his plummeting by free falling. Luckily, it just so happened that a large platform shaped like a flower was below him. He dove downward and managed to land on it with his two feet.

"Geez... I wasn't expecting that." Chopper remarked, taking out his Holocator. "Flyer? Are you still there?"

 _"Ch... Wh...t's...going on...?"_ Flyer's voice spoke through the Holocator, though there was too much buzz for him to understand a word he was saying.

"Flyer? Uh oh... Is there something getting in the way.."

"You're right, Chopper. Welcome to the _Beautiful_ Floweti's dimension!"

A giant flower bud suddenly grew from below the platform, and upon opening, Floweti had jumped out and landed on the flower platform gracefully.

"You... Did you do something to this?" Chopper asked.

"Me? Oh no. That's just this dimension causing that. I thought it would be a good place to battle since there won't be any distractions."

"Oh... Wait a minute... Then how am I getting out of here?"

"Here's the deal... You beat me, and the portal should open and let you out. That sounds simple... But I can't guarantee your victory..."

Floweti chuckled as he spread his arms out. Roses had shot outward and started to plummet below.

"And now, Chopper... It is time to witness true _beauty_ upon your defeat!"

"Come on, Chopper! Show this flamboyant freak what you're made of!" Silvera declared, flying back into Chopper.

"Right," Chopper nodded while getting into a fighting stance.

 _ **Boss: Floria Beauty Floweti**_

 _ **No one knows beauty more than Floweti. His variety of seeds, leaves, and solar-based powers can make anyone gaze in awe. At the same time, it can leave them in a severe shape.**_

"Ah ha ha ha," Floweti grinned, drawing a sunflower in his right hand, while his left took out a rose. "Now, I know of your incredible speed, Chopper... Luckily, this platform should limit you from going too fast. In a way, it works out for me!"

He tossed both flowers into the air, and they suddenly flashed white and exploded. Several petals began to rain down from above, and Chopper could only watch in awe.

Well, until one of them hit him and surprisingly caused pain.

"Ow! What the heck is this?!"

"That, my dear friend, is the _beauty_ of my deadly flower petals," Floweti grinned darkly. "Enjoy every one of them. It's to _die_ for!"

"Well I'm not going to just let them hit me!" Chopper declared, throwing his chakram at the many sharp petals. Meanwhile, he continued to dodge the others that were coming his way with ease.

While Floweti chuckled, two feet suddenly struck him in the head.

"Ow... That was just _uncalled_ for..."

Floweti drew a sharp leaf weapon and swung it Chopper's way, but he easily moved back while in the air to dodge it. While landing, he threw his chakram, which easily sliced through Floweti's leaf weapon.

"Oh my... Well, let's see how you handle this!" Floweti began to spin himself around as rose petals fired out. Chopper easily dodged and sliced through them, but when he went in to stomp on Floweti, he was only thrown back as a result. "What's wrong? Is my _beauty_ too much?"

"Ungh... Well that's not going to stop me anytime soon!" Chopper declared, firing a Hyper Chakram his way.

Floweti bent his upper body back as the chakram flew over him. Chopper was left gaping after catching it, while the Floria leader stood up straight.

Regardless of this, Chopper charged forward with a Star Dash and threw Floweti off the platform. He was about to celebrate, but another flower bud rose and opened. Jumping out gracefully was Floweti, who left behind a trail of petals upon landing.

"Throwing me off the platform won't do you any good, Chopper," Floweti noted. "As for you... That's a different stor-"

A Super Stomp was delivered to Floweti's head, leaving him in a daze. When Chopper landed, he went at full force, using his Chakram Barrage to throw multiple chakrams at the Floria leader. While it knocked Floweti back, the flower behind managed to catch him.

"Hmmmm... I'll admit, you're quite a tough boy... Looks like I have to ramp this up a bit."

With a snap of his finger, the flowers in the background started to fire giant seeds. Chopper's eyes widened as he did a Backward Somersault to dodge them. While he was flipping in the air, Floweti fired sharp leaves. The combination of these left Chopper all over the place. Eventually one of Floweti's attacks hit him, knocking the pale green boy onto the platform.

But that wasn't enough to stop Chopper. When Floweti fired more leaves, he slid underneath them and delivered a Chakram Dash to him. He made a sharp turn around and threw the flower beauty onto the ground with a single Star Dash.

"You know, I don't think this platform is enough for us. What do you say we make this fight more interesting?"

With another snap of his finger, a few flower buds called Floria Buds appeared and fired a few yellow beams onto the platform. Chopper's eyes widened when the platform disintegrated, and he was left free falling.

To make matters worse, the Floria Buds around started firing seeds at him, forcing Chopper to constantly move around while diving for the next flower platform below.

Once Chopper landed, Floweti slowly descended on the platform with two leaf rapiers in hand.

"Now, I know you had faced off against Trinado... And while he may have had those pink toxic vine swords, I can assure you that my blade skills are _much_ superior to his."

With that, Floweti started to jab his blades at Chopper, who constantly moved to the left and right to dodge them. Unfortunately, one of the Floria Buds managed to hit him from behind with a seed, allowing Floweti to land several hits, with his final swing knocking away his Chakram ability.

"Ah... Now that's more like it." Floweti smirked.

"Well... That's not stopping me!" Chopper declared, inhaling one of the Floria leader's leaf blades. He gripped them tightly, refusing to let one fall out of his hands. Eventually Chopper gave up, but another idea struck his mind. He charged forward with a Star Dash and knocked Floweti back.

"Why you... I'll...!" Floweti had blinked in surprise when he noticed his right blade missing. Then he looked at Chopper, who was now donning the Sword ability. "How did you...?"

Chopper wasted no time and leaped toward Floweti. With his Upward Slash, he launched the Floria leader into the air and used his Air Slash to deliver a few attacks. To finish off, Chopper used his Sword Dive to swing overhead at Floweti.

As Chopper landed, the Floria Buds went in for an attack, but his Sword Spin made quick work of them.

"My... My _beautiful_ Floria Buds!" Floweti gasped, and his free hand slowly balled up into a fist. "Oh... That's it... It's time the gloves came _off_!"

"But... You don't have gloves..." Chopper trailed, taking a look at his hands.

Suddenly, the petals on Floweti's head began to spin around like a fan. Only instead of blowing wind, yellow energy began to materialize. Chopper's eyes widened as a giant, yellow laser had fired his way. If it weren't for his ability to duck underneath it as flat as a pancake, he would've been toast.

"I missed? How revolting... Well, I still have more in store for you!"

"And I do too!" Chopper declared, speeding behind Floweti and striking his back with an Upward Slash. While the Floria leader was thrown back, Chopper fired a few Sword Waves his way. Each one not only threw Floweti back, but it sliced through a couple of the flowers in the background.

Floweti growled angrily as he swung his one leaf blade, but Chopper used his Slide Kick to catch him off guard. Then he started swinging rapidly at him, finishing his last strike by knocking him toward one of the remaining giant flowers.

"Ungh... Take this!" Floweti cried, firing orbs of yellow energy from his hands. Chopper dodged many of them, all the while getting closer to the Floria leader. Eventually he deflected one of the shots and sent it flying back at Floweti. "Argh... I don't believe this... How am I getting brought this far down?"

"Well, I managed to beat Maquano a few times..." Chopper trailed.

"Maquano? Oh, right... But still, I won't be intimidated just because you managed to beat him. We Florias have never feared anyone that stood before us! Now fall!"

Leaping in the air, Floweti fired another solar laser onto the platform, causing it to explode and sent Chopper flying upward. Lucky for him, another flower platform was just several feet below, so he skydived down to it, all the while avoiding more lasers coming from a few more Floria Buds.

Once he landed, the Floria Buds transformed into blades and swung his way. While Chopper managed to dodge a few thanks to his jumps, one was unfortunate to hit him and knock away his Sword ability.

"Serves you right for harming my _precious_ Flower Buds," Floweti smirked, firing another ball of solar energy his way. Chopper inhaled it, and upon swallowing it, gained the Energy ability. "Ugh... Even with my attacks, you can just eat them and steal what abilities it contains!"

"And I like that!" Chopper smiled, leaping forward and unleashing his Energy Blast from a diagonal. Floweti gasped as he dodged the bolts of energy, with one destroying one of the Floria Buds.

The Floria leader narrowed his eyes as he leaped into one of the giant flowers, while the rest of the Floria Buds flew over to him. The latter started firing smaller lasers at Chopper, who jumped in the air to dodge, or ducked when one was getting close. However, Floweti's solar laser was much bigger, and it barely touched his hat.

"Whoa! That was too close!" Chopper gaped.

"Bah! What good are my attacks if you keep on dodging?!" Floweti growled as he leaped out of the flower.

"Well... This is what happens when you try to hurt my planet!"

"I see no harm in what I'm doing. The sun's energy is what we need for survival. This is the only way I can stay _beautiful_! It's not like everyone else needs it. ...Then again, we enjoy knowing that other competitors will be wiped out. Even if they tried to survive, their water, unfortunately, is limited. Meanwhile, our Aqua Florias can supply us with as much water as we need!"

"I'm not going to let you go through with this, especially on my birthday," Chopper declared, firing an Energy Wave in Floweti's direction. He leaped over it elegantly and fired a few solar energy balls back, knocking the hero back.

"Not when I'm here," Floweti smirked, and all of his Floria Buds flew in to attack.

Chopper put on a determined look as he jumped in the air and spun his wand to perform his Dual Revolution technique. The circling line of energy made contact with all the Florias, and they all exploded into dust.

Flowet found his fists shaking as he fired another solar laser his way. But Chopper used his Slide Kick to not only go underneath, but also strike at his legs. This stopped his attack, allowing Chopper to grab a hold of him.

"I think it's time you finished this, Chopper," Silvera stated.

"Yeah!" Chopper declared, and with his Energy Capture, he fired a flurry of energy that sent Floweti flying into the flower behind him.

"Ungh..." Floweti mumbled, but the moment he saw one of the petals on his head fall off, he let out a gasp. "My... My _beautiful_ petals! You've... _de-beautified_ me!"

"But you look more deflowered..."

"Argh... You'll pay for this, Chopper!"

"Well, now that I think about it, I feel like I know my birthday wish..." Chopper began, charging up energy into his wands. "I want my planet to be safe today!"

He finally unleashed a large Energy Wave, which was not only strong enough to throw the flower back, but close the petals to boot.

"It's over for you!"

A bright light had emitted from the flower as it began to glow white. The next moment came, and an explosion of petals had caused the flower itself to disintegrate, while the stem slowly hung down.

A single petal slowly floated onto the platform, and Chopper found himself staring down at it.

"Well... Goodbye Floweti..."

As the petal touched the ground, a bright, flower-shaped portal opened, sucking Chopper in. This time, he didn't bother to fight it as he was pulled back into Floweti's throne room.

"Whew... Looks like I did it!" Chopper smiled.

 _"Chopper? Is that you?"_

"Oh... Flyer!" Chopper gasped, taking out his Holocator. "I can hear you now!"

 _"So... What happened to Floweti?"_

"Well, he's done for now!"

 _"Good! And what about the Silver Star?"_

Chopper's eyes widened the moment he looked back at the still active Solar Cannon. He immediately rushed toward it and got a view of outside the greenhouse. So far, things were not looking too good. Many plants were slowly withering by the second!

"Ummmm... How do you turn this thing off?"

 _"If I were there, I'd take a look at it,"_ Flyer answered.

"But there's no time!" Silvera cried. "Just do something, Chopper!"

"Ummm... Ummmm...!" Chopper looked over at the door panel. Pulling it open revealed the inside of the cannon, with only one thing in it. "Oh! Here we go!"

Wasting no time, he pulled the Silver Star out of the cannon. Victorious, he held the Silver Star up while cheering.

 _ **You rescued Silveader!**_

"Yes! I did it!" Chopper cheered. "Are you happy, Silvera?"

"Well... I guess so..." Silvera sighed in relief. "Silveader's finally safe..."

"Yay!"

As he began to celebrate, the sound of an explosion caught him off guard as he turned around to the Solar Cannon. A few more small explosions came out, causing him to gape.

"Wait... But I took the Silver Star out! How come this thing's still-"

Shining brightly the next moment, the Solar Cannon let off a large explosion of light that threw Chopper back, knocking away his Energy ability. The explosion was even strong enough to not only make him release the Silver Star, but throw him out of the room as well.

The last thing Chopper saw was a sparkling figure before everything went blank.

* * *

 **I wanted to go all out with this first boss, and whether I succeeded or not, I'll leave that up to you.**

 **Anyway, that's it for the Clara Arc. It was more of an introduction kind of arc, but I suppose I did throw in a few new things compared to "Chopper of Clara". After a boss fight, there's the interlude, which takes up two chapters. And... Well, you'll get the idea.**


	9. Villainous Recruitments

Chapter 9: Villainous Recruitments

Ever since the destruction of Tartara City on Clara, the Tartaras had built a brand new city in their homeworld, Tartamos, which they deemed Tartamos City. Everything was decorated in red and black on places such as the skyscrapers. Neon signs were also much more prominent, advertising many Tartara-related products. Not only were the bright lights and tall skyscrapers enough to make a person gawk, but the size itself was enough to for a single Tartara explore for weeks on foot.

While Tartaras were conversing, their attention was quickly drawn to a red and black motorcycle heading through the streets of the city. Many had blinked in bewilderment, as this figure looked nothing like a Tartara. The figure had black arms and wore a red vest, a gray tank top, silver wristbands covered in four black spikes, gray, fingerless gloves, dark gray pants ripped up on a few places, and gray boots. On his head was a red helmet that hid his entire face, save for the glowing purple eyes.

As the figure flew past the Tartaras, the obvious question was asked.

"Who the heck is that guy?"

When the figure was out of the city, he finally reached the front yard of Maquano's black castle sporting red windows. Guarding the front entrance were two giant Tartaras standing at about thirty feet in height.

After parking his motorcycle, he walked up to the two Tartaras, who snarled when looking down at him.

"You... Who are you?" the first giant Tartara asked.

The figure reached for a card in his vest pocket and held it up to the first guard.

"What? Is this for real?"

"Yes," the figure nodded.

"Hmmmm..." the second giant Tartara took a look at the card for ten seconds before finally nodding. "Well this does look legit. Proceed."

Once the two guards stepped aside, the figure entered the castle.

* * *

"Wow! So you gave that kid a nasty beating, Dad?" Bowser Jr. asked, sitting on his father's lap.

"You bet I did, Son! And on his birthday to boot!" Bowser chuckled. "He wasn't anything like Mario, but hitting him was satisfying!"

"Aww... I wish I was there to see it! I would've wanted to join in!"

"Well you'll get your chance to help me take over as many universes as we please!"

"Bowser... Will you save your father-son moment for later?" Maquano suggested, he and the rest of the villains sitting at the round table. "I believe we have some things to discuss..."

"Yeah yeah..." Bowser grumbled. "Jr., it's time for your father to go speak with the other evil guys. I'll talk about how awesome my beating on that Chopper was later."

Once Bowser Jr. got off his lap, the Koopa King's hovering chair headed over to the others at the table.

"All right, what do you chumps want?"

"I felt that now was the perfect opportunity for us to discuss the matters of spreading our misery to other worlds," Maquano explained, placing his two hands on the black table. "We are nearly unstoppable at this point, so no one should be able to stand a chance against us. Chopper surely didn't, even in his Super Star form. ...What is it, King Dedede?"

"Is there any reason why I have to sit next to the giant dragon?" King Dedede asked, pointing his thumb at Ridley, who only narrowed his eyes at him.

"I'm afraid I must agree with King Dedede," Eggman nodded. "His rancid breath is a bit of a distraction."

"Personally, I think it smells _marvelous_ ," Hades commented. "Keep at it, Ridley! The more I get a whiff of it, the more I'm reminded of my hot spring's odor!"

"Bwa ha ha ha! Too bad for you, I guess!" Bowser cackled, while Ridley let out a roar strong enough to shake the room.

"I can smell your breath from here too," King Dedede added. "And whew! Thank goodness I'm not sitting next to you! I think it's worse than this purple dragon's!"

"Well why don't you come over and say that to my face, fatty?!"

"What'd you just call me?!"

"Yeah, you heard me! I suggest hitting the gym once and a while so you can look like me!"

"You know, Your Majesty, he does make a point," Escargon pointed out, only for King Dedede's fist to pound him in the head.

"You're not helping, Escargon!" King Dedede growled, his face becoming redder than Bowser's fire.

Hades, meanwhile, spawned a purple bag of popcorn and started eating. "My my, this is SUCH an entertaining argument!"

"SILENCE!" Maquano yelled, his cape flowing upward as his body was surrounded in darkness. The moment they saw that angry look in his eyes, the rest of the villains, remembering what they witnessed before, kept their mouths shut. "If we're going to cooperate, then we need to learn to get along. I'm all for putting others down...but now is not the time!"

"A guy that's both reasonable and chaotic... He sounds much more admirable than the boss." Orbot remarked.

"Yeah! Did you see the way he shut the others up?" Cubot asked loudly.

"Uhhh... Hello? I can hear what you two are saying!" Eggman shouted from behind before turning back to the villains. "Ugh... I can't believe all of that effort into my Egg Destroyer went to waste."

"Well, Dr. Eggman... I can assure you that with the power of the Silver Stars, making new machines shouldn't be an issue, especially with the new powers you can add to it yourself." Maquano noted.

"Really?" the scientist grinned, stroking his mustache. "Now I'm more interested."

"Yes, but that will wait later. In the meantime..."

"Lord Maquano!"

Maquano groaned in annoyance as he turned around to face the open door. Running into the room was an exhausted and beaten Flagrand.

"Flagrand? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be busy destroying the jungle?"

"Yes... To tell you the truth, I should have..." Flagrand sighed. "Unfortunately, any attempts in destroying it were stopped. It's why I'm in such a bad condition."

"What? Someone took you down?" Maquano gawked. "Who?!"

"I can tell you... But you're not going to like it." the Crystal Darkness took a deep breath before finally answering. "Apparently Chopper is still alive, and he gave me a pretty big beatdown."

"Chopper's still alive?!" Maquano growled, his fists shaking. "How?! And after all I've done!"

"See, this is why you should've gotten rid of his body," Camikon scolded. "Back in my day, we were smart enough to rid of the dead bod-"

A black and purple ball of magic coming his way was enough to make Camikon quiet down as the projectile hit the wall.

"I don't believe it... The fact that Chopper's still alive infuriates me! How did he survive?!"

"Well... I saw this silver star thing with him when we fought," Flagrand mentioned.

"Silver star thing? Why would-" Maquano stopped himself when he blinked in realization. "So THAT'S how he's still up... Camikon, why did you screw my plan up?!"

"But Lord Maquano! You said to send them anywhere!" Camikon protested.

"Hmph... Then this _is_ my fault then. Great... And I don't have the time to deal with him."

"Wait, so our beating was all for nothing?!" King Dedede growled.

"You know, I haven't heard back from Twinbelly either..." Hades realized. "He's usually such a good doggy... If Choppy's still alive, then it's likely he wiped him out."

"You're surprisingly calm about your pet's death," Bowser noticed.

"When you're constantly reviving your minions, you'll eventually be calm about it. Besides, my forces are idiots. Who cares if they get killed off? The humans in my universe already help me raise my army! But Twinbelly's pretty powerful, even when pitting him against a mere mortal. If Choppy, a mortal much smaller than Pitty Pat, was able to take down my precious pet..."

"Whoa... So this Chopper is a lot tougher than I originally thought; not as powerful as me, mind you... But I guess I can see why he's the hero in Maquano's universe..."

 _"Great... I guess I'm going to need to keep Chopper busy with something while I'm planning."_ Maquano thought as he pondered. _"But who would I send out? Hmmmm... Perhaps..."_

"Hey, is Maquano here?"

Everyone's attention was drawn back to the door when they spotted a new figure with a biker's helmet and purple eyes revealed underneath leaning against the doorway.

"Who are you, and how did you get in here?" Maquano asked, his blade materializing in his right hand.

"Oh... So you're him." the figure walked closer to the Demon Knight, who tightened his grip on Dark Oblivion's hilt. "Yeah... It's you all right. You've definitely changed since I last saw you."

"I don't know how you know me or how you got through my Tartara Royal Guards and into my castle, but I'll give you ten seconds to get out of here." Maquano warned as the figure finally stopped and was face-to-face with him.

"It's been a while... _Brother_."

Maquano's eyes widened as the figure finally took off his helmet, revealing his black face, purple eyes and mouth, and his red bandana with a symbol of an angry skull and crossbones tied on the top of his head.

"Maquano, buddy!"

"Oh, no... _You_."

"Lord Maquano... Who is this?" Camikon asked.

"Sup? The name's Bob! I'm Maquano's little bro!" Bob introduced, putting an arm on his brother's shoulder, much to the Demon Knight's annoyance. "I'm the cooler, more handsome one of the family!"

"You...never mentioned a brother, Lord Maquano."

"Because I'd _prefer_ to forget about him..." Maquano hissed. "In fact, you and the rest of my kind should've been wiped out after I destroyed our home planet!"

"Oh... That was you? Pfffff! I guess you couldn't handle the name-calling, right?" Bob laughed. "Hey! Hey, guys! We always used to call him 'Cany'!"

"'Cany'? I like the sound of that." Hades grinned. "Still doesn't beat 'Quany Poo' though."

"All right, enough already," Maquano growled, throwing Bob's arm off him. "I don't care how you're still alive. How did you know I was here?"

"Let's just say one of your minions spilled it out, and I ended up following them here," Bob explained smugly. "So apparently you've been fighting this one kid named Chopper? And you were beaten by him since he was six?"

"Yes... And he was four when I first faced him."

"That's even better!" Bob laughed loudly in his face.

"I swear I'm going to kill you..."

"Hey, Cany! For old time's sake... Noogies!" Bob exclaimed, raising a fist. "Noogies for the nerd!"

As he was about to bring his fist down on Maquano's helmet, the younger demon's eyes widened when he felt a sword impale his body. The others watched with raised eyebrows as Bob stood motionlessly.

"And we were just getting to the good part," Hades pouted. "What a killjoy..."

"Yeah, he is," Bob agreed, making Maquano blink in surprise when his brother appeared unfazed by Dark Oblivion. But when he looked down at his chest, his mouth curved downward. "Hey! You made a hole in my shirt! Jerk!"

"Ugh... I almost forgot that this stuff doesn't work on my kind." Maquano grumbled. "Oh well... There's always one way to get rid of a pest."

Maquano lifted Bob off the ground before teleporting over to the window.

"Hey, Cany, buddy! How 'bout we-"

With all his might, Maquano threw Bob out and sent him flying off into the distance. As a small sparkle appeared in the red sky, the Demon Knight sighed in relief as he returned to the table.

"At least that's not something you do, Your Majesty," Escargon pointed out.

"You keep it up, and you'll be next," King Dedede warned with a glare, making Escargon back away to Bandana Waddle Dee.

"Now that we have _that_ distraction out of the way... Let's get back to what's important." Maquano sighed. "So apparently Chopper's still alive... But luckily, I think I know who to send out."

"But Lord Maquano," Camikon spoke up. "I don't think Chopper's going to be roaming around the same planet this time. He's bound to go elsewhere next."

"All right... Then can you locate where another Silver Star went? One that's closest to Chopper?"

"Hmmmm..." Camikon concentrated some magic into his wand until he got an image of a desert in the orb. "There's one that's located on a planet named Ava, a world comprised of nothing but sand. It's located in the same galaxy as Clara."

"I see... Well, then I will send them there." Maquano decided, only for his eyes to catch sight of something in Eggman's hands. "What is that?"

"Oh, this?" Eggman placed the object on the table. It appeared to be a dark purple conch shell covered in spikes on the outer surface, while the openings were a dim red. "Well, after we defeated your nemesis, I've been trying to find a new Cacophonic Conch. You see, ever since that meddlesome hedgehog kicked it away, I was on the lookout for a new one. Well, luckily, I did find one, but it doesn't have the same strength as the previous."

"Hmmmm... Let me see it."

The scientist obeyed, and once Maquano took it in his hands, he decided to blow into it. It made a high-pitched screeching noise, and the opening of the conch was glowing slightly. The noise, meanwhile, was enough to make everyone cover their ears. Ridley, especially was letting out a screech.

"Gah! That thing sounds painful!" Bowser roared.

"Hmmmm... Something's definitely off with this thing." Maquano said as he lowered the conch.

"That's what I was saying. The Cacophonic Conch's sound waves should not be so harmful to us. But when it's at an acceptable strength, it sounds very soothing... But for those Zeti, it's _very_ painful."

"And who are these Zeti you refer to?"

"The Zeti are a demonic race that inhibit a world called the Lost Hex in my universe," Eggman explained. "You see, they have the power to manipulate magnetic fields. However, with something like the Cacophonic Conch in your hands, you have full control over their powers, and they'll be forced to do your bidding! I even got to control them, but then that moronic hedgehog had to kick it away and put a target on myself!"

"And my head was blown off!" Cubot blurted.

"And I was unfortunate to have your head on me..." Orbot sighed.

"Zeti, huh? Now I'm interested..." Maquano smirked darkly. "How about we go and enslave them? I'm all for recruiting a few more minions into my army."

"I'd be all for it too... But unfortunately, that Cacophonic Conch's strength would not be enough to keep them under control."

"Well, then I guess we're going to have to change that. Camikon, if you may..."

"With pleasure," Camikon replied, aiming his wand at the conch. A red glow surrounded the object as the opening of the shell became brighter. "Try it out, Lord Maquano."

Maquano blew into it, and instead of a screech, a low-pitched sound came out, while the opening let off a brighter glow than usual. Instead of irritated looks, the other villains found themselves grinning at the soothing sound.

Just the sound was enough to make Ridley chuckle darkly and spread out his large wings.

"Yes, I do like the sound of it," Maquano agreed. "So, Dr. Eggman... Is this enough?"

"That sound... It definitely sounds like my previous conch!" Eggman smiled. "In fact, I think its sound is much stronger! Now capturing those Zeti will be easy!"

"Indeed. Once I take care of one thing... I'll head over to the Lost Hex and find these Zeti."

"Just remember... There are six. They call themselves the Deadly Six for a reason." Eggman reminded.

"Of course... As for you Camkion..." Maquano began, turning to the old wizard. "I'd like you to contact the Shadow Sirens and tell them to meet me in my throne room. And send some of my minions to go to Ava as well, just to be on the safe side."

"I will do just that, Lord Maquano," the old wizard nodded, and with that, he had made his exit.

"So, what's next?" King Dedede asked.

"Well for now, I must go to my throne room to meet with those three. Then I will head to the Lost Hex." Maquano declared. "You five start coming up with some ideas just to get on a head start. I'll be sure to come back quickly."

Once he teleported out of the room, the rest of the villains sat in silence.

"So... What now?" Hades spoke up.

"I'm getting hungry," Bowser said, turning his head to Kamek. "Kamek! Tell one of those minion guys to get me a snack!"

"Yeah, you do the same thing, Escargon!" King Dedede added. "And you go make sure he gets the job done, Bandana Waddle Dee!"

"I understand, Lord Bowser," Kamek nodded before flying out of the room with his broomstick.

"Well, I guess we have no other choice," Bandana Waddle Dee shrugged as he and Escargon left the room.

"Orbot, Cubot... Would you check and see if they have any sandwiches?" Eggman asked. "I too, am hungry."

Ridley let out a roar.

"I'd say he's hungry as well. In fact, why don't you go get something for us, Flagy?" Hades suggested.

"And why should I?" Flagrand questioned, glowering at the God of the Underworld.

"Because I can tell Quany Poo that you're not listening to a higher authority, and you'd lose your position. You wouldn't want that now, would you?"

Flagrand grumbled as he made his exit from the room, leaving the villains to sit back and relax.

"And now, Jr..." Bowser began. "Why don't we finish my awesome story?"

* * *

Maquano felt a sense of relief when he finally teleported out of the meeting room. With no Bob irritating him, perhaps now he would remain calm. His throne room was especially a place he felt a sense of relief in, more so than his destroyed castle on Clara. One big difference here compared to his previous throne room was that no lava was in sight. Of course, being on the top floor this time, it was justified. But the garnet carpeting, the red and black throne, and the walls covered in black and red stripes was always something he liked to take a look at.

As he took a seat on his throne, he took a look at another door that was over to his right. Its color scheme stood out compared to the rest of the room, being dark purple with a black trim.

"Soon..." Maquano mumbled. "If everything goes the way I want it, my new realm shall finally be complete."

While looking at the door, his eyes caught the sight of three shadows of different sizes appearing a few feet in front of the throne. Turning his head, Maquano spotted three shadow beings with a purple color scheme and white gloves rising out of the ground. These three all sported a ghostly tail that remained attached to the ground.

The first and the one in front was the smallest of the trio, having a pointy nose fit for a witch, a crooked grin, and lavender hair. This small figure was also wearing a blue and white striped witch hat with a blue brim that shielded her eyes. The hat itself was pointy, while it only curved back at the tip.

The second figure to the left was the biggest, having a large belly, orange hair mostly hidden under her hat, with the exception of bangs covering her eyes, red cheek blushes, and a roundish head. Despite being the biggest, she appeared much younger compared to the small one. Like the smaller figure, she had a witch hat, only instead of being pointy, it was more round, especially at the tip, and the hat itself was even curving back. The color scheme of her striped hat was yellow and white, while the brim was yellow.

The third and final figure to the right was in between the size of the first and second and had the youngest appearance of the three. Like the large figure she had a roundish head and cheek blushes, only hers was pink. Her figure wasn't as skinny as the first, but was definitely not as large as the second. A large, pink curl from her bangs had shielded her eyes, and the rest of her long, pink hair behind her had curled up at the end. Her hat was similar to the large figure, curving back, but the tip wasn't as round, nor pointy. Her striped hat's color scheme was red and white, with the brim being red.

"Mmmwee hee hee hee hee... Lord Maquano! I never thought you'd call for us!" the smallest and eldest shadow figure spoke up. "It's been ages, hasn't it?"

"Yes... It feels like I first saw you three yesterday." Maquano recalled. "But I didn't call you for a greeting. There's more important issues that require your assistance, Beldam."

"Very well... What is your request?"

"I don't think I've ever mentioned him to you three before... But there's a pest out there that _refuses_ to go down... Unfortunately, our attempt to bring him down wasn't enough. I have other things to be working on... So I am entrusting you to deal with him. I understand you three have other things to do..."

"Hmmmm... Perhaps we can take the time to assist you, Lord Maquano." Beldam grinned darkly. "And who is this person we must deal with?"

"He's my archenemy, Chopper of Clara. And while he may be smaller than you, Beldam, I would not underestimate that child. He may look innocent at first... But in reality, he's much more dangerous than you'd think."

"Ah, thanks for the information, Lord Maquano. We'd be happy to oblige... But we have no idea what this Chopper looks like or where he is."

"Hmmmm... You're absolutely right." Maquano pondered. "In that case, I might as well give you a picture of him. Give me a moment."

The Shadow Sirens blinked the moment Maquano teleported out of the room. The next second, he was back in the throne room with a photo.

"Here. Take this." the Demon Knight tossed the photo toward them, which slowly began to float down. The photo landed in the youngest Shadow Siren's hands, and she got a clear look at the happy expression on Chopper's face.

But before she could comment on it, Beldam immediately snatched it out of her hands.

"Vivian, I insist that I hold onto this," Beldam stated. "This is way too important for you to keep."

Vivian let out a sigh as the eldest Shadow Siren put the photo away.

"I should let you know that while that's what Chopper normally looks like... He can sometimes change the way he looks after copying an ability." Maquano informed. "His face may not change... But you might see him with something on his head."

"I will keep that in mind," Beldam assured.

"Now, as for where Chopper's going... I can bet you that he's going to a desert planet called Ava. It's located in Starland Galaxy."

"Mmmwee hee hee hee hee! I can assure you that we shall get the deed done, Lord Maquano! When we're finished with him, I will present you with a brand new ice sculpture!"

"Ice sculpture? Heh heh heh... I like the sound of that." Maquano said in a sinister tone.

"Now then..." Beldam turned to her younger sisters. "Let's go, my lovelies! Marilyn! Vivian! We've got a job to do!"

With that, Beldam slipped her entire body into the shadows and disappeared.

"Guhhhhhh..." Marilyn grunted before slipping into the ground as well.

"Mmm hm hm hm!" Vivian giggled, following the two behind.

"I'm counting on you three..." Maquano mumbled. "Your powers definitely stand out compared to the other shadowy beings... I trust this millennium has improved your magic skills. ...But if that fails, at least I can always resort to those Zeti Eggman mentioned. However, just to be on the safe side..."

When his eyes flashed, several Tartaras had appeared in the room in shock.

"Tartaras... I'd like you to come with me to the Lost Hex. There's something I'll need your help with."

The Tartaras obeyed as they were teleported out of the throne room with Maquano.

* * *

Once Maquano had reached his destination with his army, the latter were left with widened eyes at the sight of the bright blue sky and the luscious green grass. Some portions of the ground were a solid brown, having a checkered pattern to it.

But that alone was not the thing that caught them off guard.

"Hmmmmm?" Maquano took notice of the terrain. "Interesting... This landmass is in the shape of a cylinder..."

"Errrr... Perhaps this Lost Hex is not what we anticipated, Lord Maquano..." a Tartara Soldier commented.

"True..." the Demon Knight nodded, walking on the cylindrical path. Several taller surfaces were around him, leaving him a little confused. Right below him, meanwhile, was the grassy landscape. "Now we just need to find what I'm looking for."

"So, you're looking for something?"

Maquano's attention was immediately drawn to the voice around him. Standing before him and his army a few feet away was a figure with a stocky build, along with a red upper body and black below his waist. This strong, demonic being was equipped with a red serpentine tail, sharp cyan nails on his five fingers, along with his two clawed toes on the front and one on the back. While his black head was smaller than the rest of his body, his red spiked jaw was intimidating enough to stand out. The markings underneath his eyes were red, while the eyes itself were purple with yellow sclera. His unibrow shaped like a V-shaped crest matched the colors of his claws, as did the ponytail sticking out from his head. A pair of curved horns striped in various shades of gray stuck out from the sides of his head, and on his shoulders were pairs of black spikes. The only kind of attire he was wearing were a pair of black bracelets with gray spikes sticking out.

"Many intruders come here looking for something... But there's only one thing they look for in the end." the red figure said, crushing a stone figure underneath his right foot. "Trouble."

"Huh... So you're one of the Zeti? You're much bigger than I thought." Maquano remarked.

"If you value your life, you would at least give me a fair reason as to why you're invading our home," the Zeti said in a threatening tone.

"Well, I came here to capture you," the Demon Knight answered. "I thought it would be hard to find you... But I guess you made it easier. You really do pop out with all of this green here."

"Is that so? Either you're very brave...or very foolish. Maybe both?" the red Zeti stood up straight as he cracked his knuckles. "And what name shall I put on your gravestone, _small knight_?"

"No gravestones will be necessary, not when I have you captured."

"You really think you can capture me?" the Zeti let out a cackled. "I'm starting to think you're more on the foolish side..."

"Oh trust me, I'm not. Tartaras..." Maquano began, aiming a finger at him. "Open fire!"

The Tartara Soldiers complied and started firing purple shots at the Zeti. The large red figure jumped backwards to dodge the incoming shots, but when he saw the blasters in the soldiers' hands, a sinister grin formed underneath his spiky jaw.

"If you really think those weapons will do you any good, think again!"

Placing his index and middle finger on his head, the Tartaras' weapons suddenly stopped firing.

"Huh? What?" one soldier gawked, continuing to pull the trigger. "It's not firing!"

The next thing the soldiers knew, the Zeti was coming their way. One shoulder bash sent them flying into the air. Upon hitting the ground, they exploded into dust.

"Well now..." Maquano remarked.

"And now you're next, small knight" the Zeti grinned, charging the Demon Knight's way.

"Oh, I don't think so..." Maquano pulled out the Cacophonic Conch and blew into it. This was enough to leave the Zeti with widened eyes when a sudden surge of pain came from his head. Letting out a gasp, he grabbed his head and stopped his movements.

"No... It can't be... _How_ did you get your hands on that?!"

"Let's just say I know someone who had acquired this conch. It didn't have much power to it... But good thing I have someone who can enhance it!"

"Argh... You...!" the Zeti growled, attempting to throw a punch at Maquano. He took notice of this and blew into the conch again, causing more pain. "Guh! Enough already!"

"I don't know what your issue is with the sound. I find it soothing." Maquano chuckled. "I'm willing to stop if you agree to serve me."

"The Deadly Six serve _no one_ ," the Zeti growled, and then another blow from the conch forced him on his knees while wheezing.

"The more you resist, the more I'll blow into this thing. You can make this easy and give in. Besides... All I'll do is let you cause havoc upon our enemies. Nothing too bad, right?"

"Ungh..." the Zeti panted as he finally stood up. He gave the Demon Knight a glower before finally speaking. "Very well... I, Zavok, leader of the Deadly Six, will serve you, 'Master'..."

"A wise decision, Zavok," Maquano grinned. "And I, Maquano, will ensure that your service will be worth it. Now, you said you're called the Deadly Six? I'd insist that we find them. They might be of good use as well."

"Very well..." Zavok said, turning the other way. "Follow me."

Maquano chuckled as he followed the large Zeti ahead. "This was too easy."

* * *

Three figures had been walking through a silver hallway with lights on the ceiling, while the dark gray doors had what appeared to be a green lamp above them. A few windows revealed a starry sky, along with several planets in the distance.

As for the appearance of the figures, two of them were short and sported a round body. They were equipped with a white mask that had a pair of round structures on the sides, goggles sporting a yellow trim, and a white, spiky collar that hid the rest of their face. On their bodies, they wore a red uniform with a black X on the front and black, white gloves, and white boots with red soles.

The third figure, however, was a few feet bigger than the others. While he had a round body and an X on his uniform, his was black, while the X itself was white. His mask was purple, which sported a pair of curved and round horn-like structures on the side. Like the smaller figures, he wore goggles with a yellow trim. The spiky collar on his mask was red, and he even wore a red, spiky cape to boot. His gloves matched the same color as the other two, and finally, his pants were purple, while his boots were black.

As they were walking toward the dark gray door, a few other small figures like the first two crossed their arms in the shape of an X when they passed them. Eventually when they reached the door, it automatically opened, allowing them to enter.

The room they stepped into was much bigger, with a dark gray symbol of a circle that had an X and two, white goggles. A few white lights were in the corners, but leading up to a few computer terminals with a throne were a few, small pillars with purple orbs sitting on top. Some large windows were present, giving off a better view of the galaxy, planets, and even the large, gray starships flying around with an emblem similar to the one on the floor.

Sitting on the silver throne, however, was a figure unlike the other three. For starters, his black, round head contained a glass cranium containing many mechanized parts, including a few blinking lights. He had two collars, with one curved up around his head. This one was black with a yellow trim, while the inner part was purple. The other collar beneath was white and spiky. Along with that, the figure had two layers of robe. The first one was mostly on the upper body, being black with a yellow trim. The lower portion, which included his sleeves, was purple with a black trim. On the front of his robe was a white, rectangle-shaped portion with a red triangle on the bottom, two small ones above to the left and right, and a large hexagon shape going to the top. In his white gloved hands was a golden scepter, with the top sporting a blue orb with mechanized parts inside like his cranium.

When the three figures stood before the throne, they crossed their arms against their body like the ones in the hallway.

"O great, exalted Grodus!" one of the small figures began. "We have finished our research on that star-shaped object you found a few hours ago."

"Hmmm, is that so?" Grodus pondered, taking out an inanimate Silver Star. "So... What did you find out, X-Nauts?"

"It took us a while to do some research after scanning it, but eventually we ended up identifying that object as a Silver Star," the second X-Naut explained. "Apparently these things don't belong from any world, nor universe."

"So they're not from this universe? Now this is _very_ interesting."

"We don't know of their origin, but what is important is that a single one of these has immense power. It might have enough to destroy an entire _galaxy_!"

"Galaxy? Then I'm very lucky to have stumbled upon this." Grodus chuckled, staring down at the star.

"I think you might be interested in the fact that there are apparently more than one of these out there. Approximately twenty, sir." the second X-Naut informed.

"Twenty? Can you get a location on any of them?"

"We've managed to find the location of one, sir," the second X-Naut noted. "It is apparently located in another universe on a planet named Ava, which is comprised of sand. That planet is part of Starland Galaxy."

"Another one already? Johnson, I want you and your comrade to see if you can find more! The more of these Silver Stars we know of, the better chance we have of obtaining them!"

"Understood, sir," Johnson nodded, he and the other giving a cross salute before exiting, leaving only Grodus and the purple figure.

"Well, Lord Crump... If these Silver Stars are so powerful, then obviously there will be others going after them. I would like you to go to this Ava world and search for the Silver Star there. Our X-Nauts will apply you with a gadget that shall detect its energy thanks to the one we have here. If necessary, I am allowing the use of force against those who stand in our way."

"Whuzzat?! Errr... Yeah, sure! Roger that, Grodus!" Lord Crump replied, blinking underneath his goggles. "I've got this really cool robot I've recently finished, and it ain't made out of paper this time!"

"Do what you want in Ava, just as long as you get that Silver Star for our X-Naut army. Comb the entire desert if necessary!"

"Yeah yeah, I gotcha. I'll give anyone that gets in my way the old Crump-a-bomb! Anyway, with that... Pow! I'm gone!"

Once Lord Crump walked out of the room, Grodus was left to ponder to himself.

"Hmmmmm... Is sending Lord Crump alone a smart idea? He's not exactly the most competent..." Grodus let out a sigh as he pressed a button on the arm of his throne. A large, blue hologram of an X-Naut appeared before him. "X-Naut! I must speak to you!"

 _"Huh? Oh, what's up, dude?"_ the X-Naut spoke in a confused tone. _"Er... I mean, sir? How's it going, sir, Grodus, dude? Grodus? Sir Grodus, sir?"_

"Shut up. I am requesting a group of X-Nauts to go out and assist Lord Crump on his hunt for the Silver Star on Ava."

 _"Ava? ...Where's that?"_

"Not in our universe, that's for sure," Grodus replied in an irritated tone. "It's located in Starland Galaxy. Find Lord Crump, and bring him a group of our soldiers to him."

 _"But dude... I mean Grodus! Today is Meatball Day!"_

"I don't care what day it is. Today is the day that we find that Silver Star on Ava!"

 _"All right, gotcha,"_ the X-Naut nodded, giving him a salute before the hologram turned off.

"Excellent..." Grodus grinned, getting off his throne and approaching the large window. "I never thought the day that I would get an object filled with immense power would ever happen. And even more are out there! Once we have that next Silver Star, my battalion shall grow! And when I have the rest in my hands... My dream of conquering not just one universe, but every single one will finally come true! Then everyone will shake in fear at the Secret Society of X-Nauts! Gaaack ack ack ack!"

* * *

 **Yeah, there's A LOT of things going on in this chapter. Originally there was going to be another villainous group separate from Maquano and the X-Nauts. ...However, I decided that they'd come much later, or else this story might be all over the place, and that can be bad.**

 **But expect to see plenty more in the second part of the Clara Interlude!**


	10. Silvania, Land of the Silver Stars

Chapter 10: Silvania, Land of the Silver Stars

"Oh, man..." Chopper mumbled, his eyes slowly opening to a luscious jungle surrounding him, along with a mushroom house in front of him. His eyes immediately shot open when he realized where he was. "Huh? I'm at my house?"

Chopper looked at his surroundings for a moment until he noticed a Silver Star floating in front of him.

"Oh... Silvera! How'd we get back at my house?"

"I'm over here, Chopper."

Chopper blinked in surprise as he turned around and saw Flyer and Silvera a few feet away from him.

"Oh... Flyer! Silvera! You're here too?"

"Well, yeah. I was with you this whole time..." Silvera replied.

"We just barely got out of there." Flyer sighed.

"But... How?" Chopper wondered.

"You can thank me," the Silver Star he first stared at answered, and Chopper turned to him. While he had the same look as Silvera, his voice was much more masculine and bold. "You're Chopper, correct? I thank you for saving me. My name is Silveader, leader of the Silver Stars."

"Oh... You got us out of there?"

"Indeed. Not only was I able to get you three out, but I managed to stop that cannon as well." Silveader explained. "Apparently after you touched me, I was able to regain control over myself and step in."

"So... That means that greenhouse is not destroyed?" Chopper questioned, taking a look at the jungle. "And everything here is back to normal?"

"Correct. Apparently all I had to do was press the off switch on the cannon, and the explosions eventually stopped. If you ask me, that's what you should've done first before getting me out."

"Off...switch...?" Chopper blinked a few times before frowning. "Oh... I guess we really messed up, Silvera."

"Uhhh... That was all you, not me." Silvera stated.

"Well... Technically... OK, I guess you did." Silveader said bluntly. "But in the end, we all came out all right. By the way... I ended up finding these. I don't have any use for these, so maybe you should take them, Chopper."

Silveader took out four Star Medals and tossed them to Chopper, who immediately put them away.

"Hey, Silveader..." Silvera began, flying up to him. "Chopper said he's willing to help us find the rest of our kind. Should we get back to Silvania?"

"Ah, yes! Thank you for reminding me, Silvera! Would you all kindly follow me?"

Nodding, Chopper and Flyer followed Silveader a few feet away from the house. Once Silvera flew to Silveader, the two began to glow white for a moment. Suddenly, energy surged out of them, creating a star-shaped portal revealing nothing but space.

"Please... I insist that you follow us." Silveader suggested, he and Silvera flying into the portal.

"Oh my goodness... This is such a spectacle!" Flyer gaped.

"Let's follow them!" Chopper smiled, making a jump into the portal first. Flyer soon followed, and the two found themselves flying in space. No planets were in sight, but they could see plenty of stars around them.

Not too far ahead was another portal, and it was getting closer by the second.

The two found themselves landing face-first when they were suddenly pushed out of the portal. Soft, green grass met their faces, and as they mumbled and pushed themselves up, they were left to gape at the spectacle before them. The sky looked as if it were dawn, but even then, many stars could be seen up in the sky.

"I welcome you to Silvania, Chopper and Flyer," Silveader said. "You're one of the first people outside of Silvania – aside from Maquano and his minions, to come here. You'll find different sorts of areas around here. Just take a look around you."

Chopper and Flyer took a look at their surroundings, and to their surprise, some vines leaves, and a large tree had surrounded them, as if they were still in Colossal Jungle. When they looked behind them, the two spotted the portal they got out of showing an image of the jungle and Chopper's house.

"You're free to go back to your own universe whenever you want, but that will have to wait for now. I'd like you to follow me."

The two Silver Stars flew off on the grassy pathway ahead, so Chopper and Flyer followed them. With Chopper's speed, he had no problem catching up to the Silver Stars.

By the time they were out of the narrow pathway, the landscape started to become more open, and the jungle-like setting was finally gone. Chopper ran up a hill that was ahead, only to stop at the top when the Silver Stars had stopped as well.

When Flyer caught up, he and Chopper found himself gazing in awe at the giant landscape before them. The white sun was already rising, and at a large distance ahead appeared to be a town.

"Wow... This place is so big!" Chopper gaped.

"Yeah... Even my Holomap shows that there is a lot around here!" Flyer gaped as he looked at the hologram of Silvania. To them, the world resembled that of a star.

"Indeed. Silvania goes for hundreds of miles." Silveader informed.

"Wait, hold on..." Flyer spoke up. "What universe is Silvania in?"

"It's not in any universe, actually. Believe it or not, it's right in between them." Silvera answered.

"Yes, she is right," Silveader nodded. "We do this so it's practically impossible for outsiders to get here. ...Well, until Maquano showed up. But let's spare those details for later. For now, why don't we go to Star Town? There should be plenty of stuff there."

"Do we have to?"

"Of course, Silvera. It doesn't hurt to let these two feel welcome to our world."

"Fine..."

"OK, then let's go!" Chopper declared, charging up a Star Boost before taking off down the hill.

"Goodness..." the Silver Star leader gawked. "He's fast. _Really_ fast."

"My thoughts exactly when I first met him," Silvera mentioned.

A heavy wind blew into Star Town the moment Chopper came to a halt at the front of the town. Many buildings were in many different colors. Silver was the most prominent, however. Some of these buildings came in different shapes, such as domes, squares with a triangular roof, rectangles, and even in the shape of stars.

The people roaming around here, on the other hand? They all appeared to have a star-shaped head, whether it was red, orange, white, pale blue, blue, or silver. Their attire was not anything special, but each one of their outfits were fitted with a star symbol on it.

"Whoa... What are these people?" Chopper asked.

"Those people are called Stanars," Silveader answered as he, Silvera, and Flyer stopped beside him. "They are inhabitants of Silvania. Their lives are about the same as any normal person."

"Yeah. Maybe we should show you around Star Town." Silvera suggested. "I think you've at least earned a break."

"I am interested in what these people are like," Flyer agreed.

Chopper nodded as the four entered the town. As they stepped in, many Stanars' eyes were on them, specifically Chopper and Flyer.

One of the first places the two Silver Stars led them to was a red, square-shaped building with the words "SHOP" above the door. Entering the building led to a room with a pink rug, brown walls, a few tables, and a desk with a yellow Stanar wearing a purple shirt and blue pants.

"Silveader? Silvera? Oh my goodness... I never thought Silver Stars would actually come here!" the Stanar cried. "I'm Starchant! I sell plenty of goods here!"

"Well, we're just showing these two around," Silveader explained, flying out of the way for Starchant's green eyes to see Chopper and Flyer.

"Customers? From elsewhere? I never thought I'd see the day brand new faces would come to my store! OK... Where to begin? Well... This is my shop, and I sell many things here, whether they be power-ups, items, you name it! You'll be good if you have enough Starries!"

"Starries? Hey, didn't you mention those to me, Silvera?" Chopper wondered, taking out an orange Starry.

"Goodness... You already have a Starry?! But how could someone not from Silvania get their hands on one?"

"I guess when Silvera healed me with her power, she said that I'm able to find and collect these."

"Wait, what?" Silveader gawked, turning to Silvera with narrowed eyes. "Silvera... You don't remember the rules of a Silver Star, do you?"

"Oh, great..." Silvera mumbled. "Thanks, Chopper..."

"We'll talk about this issue once we finish showing these two around Star Town."

"Anyway... Is there anything you'd be interested in buying?" Starchant asked. "I've got some different shields that you can equip whenever you wish! It only costs about ten Starries for one!"

"Ummm... I don't have that much on me..." Chopper frowned. "But maybe I can get a Fire Shield Star?"

"Excellent choice!"

Once Chopper paid Starchant ten Starries, he got his Fire Shield Star, which he was able to put away. Afterward, they said their goodbyes to Starchant before leaving the shop.

The next place Silveader and Silvera took Chopper and Flyer was a square-shaped building that appeared to be a bar when entering inside. The floor was blue and had a yellow star pattern to it, while the walls were a solid white. By the bar desk was a white Stanar with a brown mustache, a green outfit, and a white apron. In his hand was an empty glass he was polishing.

"Well well! If it ain't the Silver Stars and some new faces!" the Stanar greeted. "The name's Startender. I run the Starry Bar here. I've got all kinds of sodas and juices that are refreshing!"

"Are they tasty?" Chopper asked.

"You betcha! You'll just be begging for more when you take a sip! Here! I'll give you a free sample!"

Startender got an empty bottle, and after filling it with a yellow type of juice, handed it to Chopper.

 _ **Item: Star Juice**_

 _ **A delicious flavored juice that's sure to give you a good boost! This should have enough to heal yourself by a small amount!**_

"This looks yummy!" Chopper commented, opening his mouth to drop the bottle in his mouth.

"Chopper, wait!" Flyer intervened, causing him to stop. "Maybe you should save that for an emergency..."

"Oh... OK. Maybe I should give this back?"

"Nah, you can keep it," Startender insisted, raising a hand to stop him. "Same thing goes for that Empty Bottle. But if you ever drink it and want some more, come back here! Of course, it's going to cost you some Starries..."

"OK," Chopper nodded.

"Good!" Startender went back to polishing his glass, only to blink when he remembered something. "...Oh! I almost forgot! I've actually been around Star Town for quite a while, and I happen to have some journals on some things that happened in the past! So, if you ever wanna hear some stories, just come to me! ...Of course, it's not free."

"I don't know if that's something Chopper will follow..." Flyer replied sheepishly. "Long stories are not his thing..."

"Well, I'll be here in case you ever wanna get a drink or listen to a story. ...But not late at night, especially for you kids! The place gets too crowded - and _crazy_!"

Chopper and Flyer nodded before they made their exit from the building and were taken to their next destination.

"Hey! You two!"

Chopper and Flyer came to a halt, as did the Silver Stars when they spotted a green robed figure in front of an orange, round house. She appeared to have a red face, and on her robe was a picture of a golden medal.

"Huh? Who are you?" Chopper asked.

"The name's Starade. I'm just one of the Stanars that wander around here."

"Oh... That's nice and all, but we must get going." Flyer said, he and the others turning away to move on.

"Wait a moment!" Starade cried, causing Chopper to trip. Once he got up and turned to her again, she finally spoke. "I could help you. Do you, by any chance, fight?"

"You betcha!" Chopper cheered.

"Nice... I may not a fighter, but I happen to have a hobby of my own. I like collecting Star Medals. There may be some around Silvania, I don't know. But if you run across any, come to me. I'd be happy to take them off your hands!"

"But... Is there any reason why we would give you these medals?" Flyer asked.

"Of course. If you can give me some medals, I'll let you have one of my Attack Scrolls. They can be a new Technique, or a new Team Attack. The latter can only be performed if you've got someone with you, and it has to be a certain person to boot."

"A new Team Attack?" Flyer pondered. "Considering that we only know one... It's not a bad bargain..."

"I've at least got one in my hands," Starade said, pulling out an Attack Scroll. "It's called the Star Spin. With it, you can perform a spin attack with the power of the stars by your side. ...Don't know how that works, but I'll roll with it."

"I come from the stars!" Chopper smiled. "I'd like to have it!"

"Good decision...whoever you are!"

"I'm Chopper."

"Oh, yes! Good decision, Chopper! For this Attack Scroll, you'll need to hand me four Star Medals!"

"OK!" Chopper replied, taking out four Star Medals and handing them to Starade. The moment she saw them fall into her hands, stars had formed in her eyes as she chuckled.

"Yes... Yes...! YESSSSSSS!" Starade laughed crazily, only to notice the four giving her confused looks. She stood straight, raised a fist near her mouth, and cleared her throat. "Err... I mean, it's a pleasure trading these things. Now please... Take this!"

Taking out the Attack Scroll, she tossed it into Chopper's hands.

 _ **Technique: Star Spin**_

 _ **Unleash your star power upon enemies with a spin attack! This can be performed while on the ground or in the air. While in the air, your descend is slower, so use this to your advantage!**_

Chopper took a good look at the scroll before nodding and putting it away.

"OK... I think I see how it works. Good thing it's not in words!"

To test this out, Chopper spun himself around while spreading his arms out. A green trail was left behind his fists as they were covered in sparkles. He even jumped in the air and found his descent slower than usual.

"Wow... This is so cool!" Chopper cheered as he landed and stopped spinning.

"That should prove to be useful," Flyer observed.

"Yeah... I think that move fits you." Starade nodded in approval. "Anyway... I don't have any more Attack Scrolls on me for now. Maybe if I go searching through my house, I'll eventually find another. For now, you just...do whatever you need to do next!"

Chopper nodded before saying his goodbyes to Starade, who made a sprint into her house giggling like a maniac. Once he and the others left, they spotted a silver, dome-shaped building they were heading for. Beside that appeared to be a large garage. At the top appeared to be a sign of a wrench, which immediately caught Flyer's attention.

When they stepped into the building, Flyer's eyes were instantly glued to the silver interior filled with tables filled with tools. A door was to the far right, along with a window. Everyone could easily see a few unfinished vehicles there.

Two Stanars were also here as well. One of them was tall, orange, and wore gray overalls and black gloves. The second was shorter and a blue color, and wore gray goggles, a purple shirt that ended halfway down her stomach. She also sported gray pants and purple boots.

"These are the two engineers, Starench and Starix," Silveader introduced.

"Hmmmm? Silveader? Silvera? You're all right?" Starench, the taller Stanar gasped as he put his wrench down. "Oh, great! For a moment, I thought all of that noise I heard before was a bad thing..."

"Ermmm... Well..." Silvera chuckled nervously.

"We're here to show these two around Star Town," Silveader explained, pointing to Chopper and Flyer. "This is Chopper, who resides from Clara, and Flyer, who comes from Elsa."

"Chopper and Flyer? Neat!" Starix, the smaller teenage Stanar remarked. "The name's Starix! I'm an engineer along with my dad!"

"Yes, we are the ones who come up with many gadgets and the such," Starench stated.

"You two invent things? I'm an inventor as well! ...As well as a hacker, the one who comes up with plans, and I can use wind powers and fly!" Flyer explained.

"Hmmmm... You seem a little young to be building things..."

"Well, I'm only eight years old..."

"Really? A small, cute thing like yourself is already inventing things your age?" Starix gawked

"Well... Yeah." Flyer chuckled nervously, his face turning a shade of red. "I mean... I did invent a plane that can shoot a portal to another planet."

"And I got to go on it once!" Chopper proclaimed, raising his arms.

"You invented a plane?" Starench gaped. "By the Silver Stars... It must take a lot of work for someone your age."

"Yeah... But unfortunately it got heavily damaged..." Flyer sighed, looking down at the floor. "I don't think I'll ever fly it for a while. It might as well stay in my Storage Cube."

"So you still have it with you? If you don't mind... Could we see it?"

Flyer took out his silver cube, and with one button, a light blue ray fired out, making his damaged Hurricane materialize into the room.

"Incredible... Look at this fine work..." Starench gawked, approaching the plane. "The wings look like they can easily maneuver around obstacles! The propeller looks like it helps faster travel! And it even has turrets!"

"Yeah, this is a pretty neat plane," Starix commented. "Too bad it's busted..."

"Actually... I believe we can fix this up, Starix."

"Wait... You can?" Flyer gasped, his wings perking up.

"Of course! Admittedly, your aircraft isn't perfect. However, maybe we can do something about it. It might take some time, but we should be able to fix it with ease!"

"But... I insist that I should try fixing it myself..."

"But we have an adventure to go on," Chopper mentioned.

"Yes... You're correct, Chopper." Flyer sighed. "Very well, I guess I'll agree to your terms. Just make sure my plane is back in one piece."

"Trust us," Starix smirked, tossing a wrench in the air and catching it. "You're going to _love_ what we do to your plane."

"In the meantime... There's one last place I would like to show you two." Silveader stepped in.

The two nodded, and as they were about to leave, Flyer took one last glance at his plane before stepping out of the building.

"Now, I said that you guys were one of the first outsiders to come here..." Silveader explained as the group was approaching a blue house. "Technically... You're pretty much the third and fourth to be here... And if you count Maquano and his goons... Well, I think you get the picture."

"So who are you showing us?" Chopper asked.

"Someone much different compared to the rest."

The moment Chopper and Flyer entered the blue door, their eyes instantly gazed at the bluish green walls covered in faint, white stars. A few shelves were available, along with a single desk. There was a blue bed to the upper left corner, while on the desk was a small cushion fit for an insect. Lying beside that cushion was a pale gray book with a white star in the center.

"Oh ho ho! Silveader! Silvera! It's so good to see you!"

Standing in the middle of the room was a figure wearing a blue cloak, with his hood hiding his entire face, with the exception of his yellow eyes. Wrapped around his neck was a necklace with a green orb with a yellow star embedded in the center. Above that was a white, curly mustache. Underneath his blue cloak was blackness that resembled space. His curved shoes, meanwhile, were red.

"It's great to see you too, Merlon," Silveader replied. "Unfortunately, we've run into some trouble..."

"Yes, I've heard from Tippi. A demon had arrived and stolen your power, along with sending you elsewhere..."

"Tippi? Who's that?" Chopper asked.

"I'm Tippi..."

Fluttering to the side of Merlon was a rainbow butterfly that was leaving a trail of sparkles behind. Chopper blinked a few times as he got a better look at the butterfly.

"Flyer... Did that...whatever that is talk?" Chopper gawked.

"Yes... I can speak..." Tippi replied, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"And who might these two young ones be?" Merlon wondered.

"These two are Chopper and Flyer," Silveader introduced. "If it weren't for their help, I would not have been saved."

"Chopper? I feel like that name sounds familiar..." Tippi trailed. "Were you the one that demon was talking about?"

"Well... Maquano is my enemy, so I think that's me." Chopper nodded.

"Oh..."

"Huh? Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know why... But there's just something...familiar about you... I just don't know what it is..."

"I look familiar?" Chopper took a look at his hands for a moment. "Well... You don't look like anyone I've met..."

"So, do you know the whereabouts of the others?" Merlon asked.

"Sadly, no," Silveader sighed, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, Maquano has weakened us immensely that our powers are too limited. If only all twenty of us were back together... We would be able to recover our strength then and give Maquano's what's coming!"

"Perhaps that's why you have Chopper and Flyer here to assist you."

"Yes... But right now, we need to get back to the Silver Star Sanctuary to take care of business," Silveader turned his attention to Chopper. "I'm sorry if you're getting to know more about her, but now's the time we got going, Chopper. We need to go to the Silver Star Sanctuary if we're going to help you reach the next Silver Star."

"Oh... Right!" Chopper nodded, turning to the butterfly. "Ummmm... See you, Tippi!"

"Yeah... See you, I guess..." Tippi trailed.

"Feel free to stop by here whenever you want," Merlon informed. "Perhaps I can give you an idea of where to go if you're lost!"

Once the four were out of Merlon's house, Silvera and Silveader flew a few feet away from the front entrance of the town. Chopper quickly reached him, and he noticed the Silver Star pointing his hand ahead.

"If we go this way, we should be able to reach the Silver Star Sanctuary," Silveader informed. "It's a few miles... But I'm sure your speed can get you there with no problem."

"Uh huh!" Chopper nodded.

"We'll meet you there. If you wanna go back and mess around in Star Town, be my guest." Silvera added. "Just don't waste _too_ much time."

As the two Silver Stars took off, Flyer had finally reached Chopper and panted.

"Goodness... You should learn to at least slow down..." Flyer suggested. "Wait... Where did the two Silver Stars go?"

"They went to... Uhhh...some building ahead? We need to go there!"

"Well... OK... But it might be difficult keeping up with you."

"Then... We'll speed this up!" Chopper declared, grabbing Flyer's right arm. "Let's go!"

The two were off in an instant, becoming nothing but a green and yellow blur. As for Chopper and Flyer, they were able to get a look at the hills and the open landscape that was before them.

"Gosh... If this place really is big... Then I can run without anything getting in the way!"

"This also sounds like a nice place for flying," Flyer added. "Chopper, maybe you can let me go."

"Oh... OK." the antennae boy listened, releasing his grip on Flyer's arm so he could fly two feet above the ground.

While they were moving, the duo could get a glimpse of other areas around them. A few pathways appeared to be present in different sections of the landscape, with each having some sort of difference between them. One, for instance, had plenty of grass and windmills. Another had a pool of water along the way.

There was even a temple that was not too far from the distance. However, their attention was mainly drawn to a silhouette of a sanctuary past that. After all, two figures were already flying that way.

"Looks like those two are heading ahead," Flyer spoke, though his head turned to the other temple. "But I wonder what that place is?"

"Maybe we'll find out later..." Chopper replied, using his Star Dash to increase his speed.

By the time they reached the Silver Star Sanctuary, Chopper had tried to slow down once inside, but the shiny, white floor was too slippery, causing him to fall backwards and slide toward the staircase leading up to the altar.

"Ow..." Chopper mumbled, pushing himself up to get a look at his surroundings. The room was very large, sporting silver walls with stained glass windows of various colors showing the Silver Stars, and in the center was a circular symbol of a Silver Star. The staircase before him looked like it was made of white stardust.

By the time Flyer had come in, he was left gawking in the same manner as Chopper.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Silveader commented as he and Silvera flew down to them. "This is where we Silver Stars reside, the Silver Star Sanctuary. Mind the slippery floor... We usually don't have people coming in here that much..."

"But the door looked like it was damaged," Flyer noted, looking back at the door behind them.

"Well, you can blame Maquano for that... Unfortunately, we never got down to fixing that yet."

"So... What do you do here then?"

"It is our job to watch over the multiverse. Come, I'll show you how that's done."

The two friends followed the Silver Stars up the staircase, where they found a star-shaped pedestal with many different universes displayed in a spacey background.

"This is our Multiversal Pedestal," Silveader explained. "With it, we're able to watch what's going on in any universe. It's how we managed to watch you go on your first adventure."

"Wait... So I was being watched this whole time?" Chopper asked in surprise.

"Maybe we should drop this discussion and get to what's important..." Silvera suggested.

"I suppose we shall," Silveader sighed. "Now that you freed me, I should be able to pinpoint the next destination of where one of the Silver Stars are. Unfortunately, at my power, I'm only able to find one, and it can only be the closest... Now then..."

Silveader flew down to the Multiversal Pedestal and started to take a look. Chopper and Flyer were about to sit and wait, but when they heard his voice again, their attention was drawn back to him.

"Ah! Here we go! Now all I have to do is open up the portal and...presto!"

Once Silveader put his hand on the pedestal, a hologram of a planet appeared before them. The next moment, the hologram materialized away, and white energy had fired out the door.

"There we go! I have just opened the portal to your next destination!"

"Really? Cool!" Chopper cheered. "Where can we find it?"

"It's location is actually pretty close to the portal to your world, Chopper. Simply go back over there, but take the path covered in sand instead. You will find the portal at the end of the path."

"Oh... Well, that was very nice of you." Flyer remarked. "We promise to bring back the next Silver Star!"

"Wait... What are you going to do?" Chopper wondered.

"Well, I must return to my duties here as a Silver Star and watch over every universe. But as for you, Silvera..." Silveader began, turning to Silvera. "About what you did..."

"Uh oh..." Silvera gulped.

"You know that it is against our code to transfer any of your energy into someone else... However... I understand that had you not done that, I would not have been saved."

"So... I'm off the hook?"

"Not necessarily..." Silveader answered, and Silvera would've frowned if she had a mouth. "Now, I know you're the least experienced of us Silver Stars... So you obviously haven't seen much of the other universes... But I insist that you go with Chopper to find the other Silver Stars."

"Wait... WHAT?!" Silvera exclaimed, leaving Chopper and Flyer with widened eyes. "No! No no no no! NEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOPE!"

"Is there a problem?"

"Did my answer not express that?!"

"I don't understand why you wouldn't want to aid Chopper on his journey. From what I've seen, he does the job pretty well on his planet. He's also highly optimistic too!"

"Try dealing with him yourself..." Silvera hissed.

"Silvera, there is no need to be so rude," Silveader scolded. "See, this is the problem with you... You're not exactly welcoming of people and the way they act, like those Stanars. I would understand if the person was not nice... But Chopper and those Stanars are not in any way bad people. Besides, you _did_ save Chopper."

"Yeah, I saved him... But only because I needed help so badly. I didn't know what I was running into."

"Perhaps this journey will help you learn about him and other people you run into. Some of the other Silver Stars have their own issues, like me. I'm trying to be a good leader, and one of these is to help you and the others out."

"...OK, fine," Silvera sighed in defeat. "You may be right... As painful as it is...I'll go with him."

"Thank you, Silvera," Silveader nodded in a pleasing matter. "I appreciate it."

"Yeah yeah..." Silvera flew down to Chopper and Flyer. "Let's just go to the next portal, OK?"

"OK," Chopper nodded, and Silvera immediately flew into him.

"You think she'll be OK?" Flyer questioned.

"Oh, she'll be fine," Silveader assured. "Besides... Silver Stars can sense the energy of others. With her on your side, she should be able to guide you along the way."

"Ohhhh... So that's what she felt..." Chopper realized in awe. "Well... We might as well go."

Agreeing, Flyer followed Chopper out of the Silver Star Sanctuary and back outside on the giant field. As they ran, the two's heads turned to face the temple off in the distance.

"Hey, Silvera... Do you know what that place over there is?" Chopper asked.

"That temple? Errr... Not really." Silvera answered. "The Silver Stars don't really talk about that place..."

"Maybe we can take a look when we come back?"

"Sure..."

"Yay!"

After speeding past Star Town and going up the hill ahead, Chopper and Flyer had finally returned to the area where they first got to Silvania. However, several feet to the right away from the path going back to Clara was one that slowly transitioned to sand.

"That's the way we need to go," Silvera informed.

Nodding, Chopper made his way to that path. The feeling of grass on his green feet slowly began to change to pale yellow sand as he came across a more open part of the path. A few hills and rocks were to the left and right, while at the end of this path was a new portal showing an image of what appeared to be a desert landscape.

"A desert for the next world? Gee, why are the deserts always the second place I go to?" Chopper wondered.

"That's a good question..." Flyer agreed, taking a look at the portal.

"Well... Let's go find that next Silver Star!"

With one leap, Chopper dove straight into the portal, with Flyer following behind.

* * *

 **You could say that Silvania is essentially the main hub world for this story with plenty of things to do in Star Town and stuff. Also with the Star Spin, think of it like Mario' Spin Attack from Super Mario Galaxy...or Lilac's Cyclone ability from Freedom Planet. Either way, it's something that helps Chopper do a bit more fighting without having to get any abilities.**

 **But now I'm going to be going on a hiatus. I'm not sure how long it will be, but don't expect any updates for a while, so if you ask me when there will be another update, I'm not going to give you an answer.**

 **With that out of the way, I will see you guys for the Ava Arc...which is a desert world... Don't worry, there's actually more to it than you think.**


	11. Shadows in the Desert

**It's really been so long since I even updated this story... Well, why's that? Honestly, I kind of lost interest in making fanfiction. It was mostly getting in the way of my art. That, and I didn't want to end up with another story with twenty arcs kind of like some of my Paper Chopper stories.**

 **The worst part is? I already had the Ava Arc done before I decided to stop updating!** **Another reason I stopped? Well, I thought about recreating this story as a comic. It'd be only half as long as this story would be, and rather than going through the multiverse, it's Chopper traveling around his universe.**

 **Now, I know it may not be a good idea to upload these chapters when I plan to recreate this story as a comic...but I already have seven chapters done, and I feel bad for not uploading them earlier. So... Enjoy them!**

* * *

Chapter 11: Shadows in the Desert

Unfortunately for Chopper and Flyer, their landing was just as bad as when they first entered Silvania. They ended up landing on the ground headfirst, and because of the soft, pale yellow sand, their heads were stuck for a moment. Luckily, they were able to push themselves out, and after shaking their heads to get the sand off, they were left gawking.

A vast desert with plenty of hills stood before them. They weren't sure how far it went, but boy, was this landscape bigger than they could've possibly imagined.

"Wow... This place is impressive..." Flyer gaped, taking out his Holomap.

"And we're in a whole new universe too!" Chopper cheered, raising his arms upward.

"Technically we're not," the Wingel said truthfully, making Chopper's arms lower in disappointment. "In fact, we're still in Starland Galaxy. This planet is apparently called Ava, a world comprised of desert."

"Oh... That stinks... Well, if a Silver Star is here... Then we might as well take a look around!"

"Yeah... Joy..." Silvera sighed.

"OK, then!" Chopper smiled, adjusting the cuffs on his gloves and getting ready to move on. But before he could take a step, he spotted three silhouettes ahead. "Huh? What's that?"

"What do you mean?" Flyer questioned.

"I see three figures ahead... Maybe we should check it out?"

"Do whatever you want," Silvera replied.

Chopper made a run toward the three figures ahead, with Flyer following behind. When he was several feet away, the antennae boy slowed down his speed until he came to a stop a couple of feet nearby. Now he could get a better look at the three, purple shadowy figures wearing striped hats.

"Huh? Who are they?" Silvera wondered, flying out of Chopper.

"I...don't know, but they don't seem to be paying attention to us," Flyer noticed.

"Maybe we should listen to what they've got to say?" Chopper suggested.

"Chopper, you know it's not a good idea to eavesdrop..."

"Well, I wanna hear what they're saying!"

"Oh, all right... But we should try to hide somewhere safe." Flyer looked at his surroundings until he saw a rock nearby. "That should do."

Once the three went behind the rocks, they took a peek at the three shadowy figures and listened in to their conversation.

"Mmmmwee hee hee hee! All right, lovelies, it's time to get to work! Vivian! You understand what we have to do, yesss?"

"Mm-hmm!" Vivian nodded. "We're supposed to find and do away with that Chopper Lord Maquano told us about, right? Should we just take him out quickly? Or do you have other ideas?"

"Oh, I wouldn't be concerned about how we'll deal with him, Vivian. But you're right about our goals. Now, if Lord Maquano was correct, Chopper should be around here soon. When we find him, we immediately ambush him!"

"I understand," the youngest Shadow Siren nodded. Beldam's eyes were about to look away from her, but then she noticed something on her wrist.

"Hmmmmm? And what is that thing you're wearing?" Beldam questioned.

"Oh! You mean this?" Vivian moved her right arm to inspect a thick, golden ring. "I found it near that rock over there a few minutes ago. Doesn't this look pretty? I thought I'd wear it on my finger, but it seems to fit on my wrist instead! It was too hard for me to resist taking!"

"Hmph! Vivian! For shame! I never thought of you as one to take such filth off the ground! It's like those who dig into someone's trash! But enough of that! Vivian, bring out that photo of Chopper Lord Maquano brought us! Mmmwee hee hee hee!"

"Wait... Wh-What?" Vivian gasped, shaking nervously. "But I don't have it with me! You said it was too important for me to hold, so you took it. You should have it..."

"Don't be ridiculous! I don't have that thing." Beldam objected, glaring at her sister. "You were supposed to be in charge of it! I can't believe you would go this far to blame me for your own faults, you wretched worm!"

"B-But..."

"Wow... This is not a pleasant sight..." Flyer commented.

"Yeah... I feel bad for the one with the pink hair..." Chopper trailed.

"Didn't you hear them? They're looking for you, Chopper!" Silvera exclaimed.

Though her shouting wasn't enough to get Beldam and Vivian's attention, the large one, Marilyn, had turned her head and spotted the three peeking out of the rock. Gasping, the three immediately crouched behind the rock.

"Oh, crud..." Silvera gulped.

"Guh! Guh!" Marilyn grunted, grabbing Beldam's attention.

"Oh, what IS it, Marilyn?" Beldam groaned.

"Guh guh!"

"You're telling me you saw an antennaed figure, a winged figure, and a star-shaped figure? What nonsense are you telling me this time? We have more important things to take care of!"

"Whew... That was close..." Flyer sighed, he and the others slowly taking a peek again.

"Anyway, where was I? Oh, right!" Beldam approached Vivian with a scowl. "Vivian, you idiot! I can't believe you lost that photo! Lord Maquano's going to kill us now thanks to you!"

"But, Sis... I... It's not my fault... I never had that photo..." Vivian sniffled, shaking nervously at her eldest sister.

"SILENCE, YOU DITZ!" the smallest Shadow Siren yelled, and Vivian covered her face and found herself on the verge of crying. "How dare you talk back to your sister like that?! It's thanks to you that we have no photo, therefore we won't know what this Chopper looks like!"

"Please... Maybe you should check to see if you-"

"What have I taught you about talking back to your superior?! Obviously your kind don't understand respect." Beldam grabbed Vivian's right arm and yanked the golden ring off her wrist before backing away. "For your punishment, I'll be taking that ring you just found. Yes, so sorry. Maybe I might even put it on myself too!"

"But... But, Beldam..." Vivian sniffled, bringing her right arm up to her eye underneath her pink curl. "Oh, you're so horrid!"

"Gee... Why is that small one such a jerk to her?" Chopper wondered, feeling a little sympathy toward Vivian. "She should at least hold onto that ring."

"Quick! Let's get out of here!" Silvera suggested.

"I don't think they'd bother to attack us if we approached them," Flyer informed. "But I'd rather not risk it... We need to get going..."

"I guess so," Chopper nodded, and once Silvera flew into him, the two took off without the Shadow Sirens taking notice. Well, minus the large one, who watched them move farther away.

"Guh..."

"Wow! It's so easy for me to run around like this!" Chopper smiled, running up and down a sandy hill before them. Because of how much room there was, there was nothing limiting Chopper from bumping into any obstacles. Sure, a few rocks were in the way, but he easily vaulted over them while maintaining his momentum.

However, it wasn't all completely barren. There were plenty of tall, rocky surfaces around. Some were even to the right, forming tall platforms in a spiral manner.

Out of curiosity, Chopper headed for the right side of the field to the rock platforms. Along the way, there were a few Starries he was able to grab too. But the two were not alone. A few Darklings tried stopping them, but Chopper managed to stomp on them, while Flyer shot them with his Blast-O.

However, there was one enemy that stuck out in particular. It appeared to be a creature made up of diamond sporting shards on its head, along with red feet, and black, oval-shaped eyes. This enemy, named a Diamo, fired shards from its head near Chopper.

But Chopper easily took care of this and used his Inhale to catch it in his mouth. Upon swallowing it, Chopper's new hat had decorative diamond-shaped diamonds ranging from blue, white, and yellow on the front. Forming on the top of his head were several bluish green diamond shards.

 _ **Copy Ability: Diamond**_

 _ **Crush things to bits by transforming into whatever you become! Slide down slopes and take down anything that gets in the way! Grow into a larger diamond and smash things below! Throw a powerful punch with your Diamond Fist! Put up your Shard Burst to hurt enemies, or fire them out! Use your Diamond Rain to shoot shards above! Finally, turn into a ball of diamond shards with your Rolling Diamond!**_

"Diamond, huh? Well this should come in handy!" Chopper smiled.

"Diamond is considered to be the toughest gem... So it should be helpful!"

"Yeah... Let's test it out!" Chopper approached a wooden stake near a tall platform. By transforming into a diamond statue of himself, he smashed down on it, causing Starries to appear. As he turned back to normal, he collected them all before using a Side Somersault to get up. With a Long Jump, he reached the next platform. He continued to jump from platform to platform, with one revealing a Star Medal after smashing down a stake. The top platform, however, revealed some Hyper Energy after smashing the stake, which he happily took.

After leaping back down, Chopper and Flyer carried on. Thanks to his new Diamond ability, he was able to destroy Darklings and Tartara Grunts that got in his way thanks to his Rolling Diamond attack. This allowed him to roll into a ball of diamond shards and send many enemies flying away.

As they continued to travel, their sights took notice of a town not too far ahead.

"Chopper! A town!" Flyer gasped. "Perhaps we can ask the locals if they saw a Silver Star!"

"Don't get your hopes up," Silvera noted. "Nobody knows what a Silver Star is."

"It doesn't hurt to try!" Chopper smiled confidently, charging forward. However, his attention was quickly drawn to a red and black skiff floating off the ground. It flew past them and revealed several Tartara Soldiers piloting it. Two, meanwhile, were manning the turrets.

"Not so fast, Chopper!" one of the Tartaras growled. "You're not going anywhere!"

"Well I'm gonna go somewhere once I take you all down!"

"Tartaras! Open fire!"

The Tartara Skiff's turrets fired out a long, red laser, which Chopper easily sped to the side. A few Darklings got in the way, and Chopper simply used a Diamond Fist to create a large fist made up of diamond to throw a punch. This managed to launch the enemies toward the skiff. Meanwhile, Flyer fired orange shots from his Blast-o to take down the Tartaras manning the turrets so they wouldn't get in the way.

"OK, Chopper! Let's eradicate that skiff!" Flyer declared.

"Yeah! Let's use our Whirlwind Launch Team Attack!"

Nodding, Flyer grabbed Chopper's arm and started to spin around like a tornado. When they were fast enough, Flyer released Chopper, who launched toward the Tartara Skiff. He transformed into a statue of Maquano before smashing into it. The next moment, the explosion sent Tartaras flying into the air.

"Yay! We did it!" Chopper cheered. "Now let's head for that town!"

Flyer agreed, and the two made their way toward the narrow path leading straight toward the town.

The town itself didn't appear to be as colorful and lively as Star Town. For starters, all of the buildings had matched the same color as the sand, only a bit lighter. They were also not very clean-looking, having some sand stuck to them. Some of these buildings were around five feet tall, while others were over ten. The conditions of these buildings weren't exactly the best either, but they were certainly not at the level of being downright awful. They were livable, but that was it.

Many on the townspeople roaming around didn't seem to mutter a word as they roamed around. Most of them were dressed in cloaks that hid most of their body and face. Those that weren't appeared to have gear with blades attached to their belts. Their heads were roundish, and their faces ranged from being a dirty light brown or gray. The ones in the ninja gear wore masked hiding the lower portion of their faces.

While the two were walking into the front entrance, Chopper was juggling a few of his Star Medals in the air. This was not unnoticed by a few figures wearing yellow hoods, masks, and ragged, pale yellow clothing.

"This place is pretty quiet..." Chopper remarked, exchanging looks between the town itself and his Star Medals. Meanwhile, the thieves were sneaking quietly behind him. "I wonder why there are people carrying weapons?"

"Maybe they're the guards of this place? You know, to keep the place secure? What do you think, Chopper?" Flyer asked, turning to his friend. However, when he saw the thieves tripping in his place, he blinked a few times. "Huh? Where'd you go?"

Turning to his right, Flyer spotted Chopper over by a stand, where there was another one of the people with a dirty light brown face, a brown mustache, a beige flat cap, and a brown apron. On the stand appeared to be many types of delicacies Chopper was gawking over.

"Cupcakes? Apples? Lettuce? Are you interested in them?" the merchant asked.

"Yeah!" Chopper nodded like an excited puppy.

"Well, it's yours, my friend! As long as you've got enough Avins, I can sell you one of these delicious delicacies!"

"Wow!"

"Though the Sanins normally deal in grains and wheat... There's nothing more refreshing than apples and sweeter than cupcakes!"

"Chopper!" Flyer flew over to Chopper with an annoyed look. "This isn't the time to be looking at food! We're supposed to be looking for the Silver Star!"

"He's right, you know," Silvera added.

"Oh... Uhhh..." Chopper looked back at the Sanin merchant. "Have you seen something in the shape of a star?"

"Ummmm... Nope." the Sanin merchant replied. "Never seen anything like that. Maybe you should take a look outside of Saninja Town."

"Outside of town... Chopper, we might as well check there." Flyer suggested.

"OK," Chopper nodded, making a run past several Sanins. Eventually he reached a branching path. The right had a gate wide open, while the left was closed. However, the right gate looked like it was leading to a cliff. Because of that, Chopper brought his attention to the left side, with all of the Sanins in what appeared to be beige ninja gear standing guard. "Hey... Let's check over there."

"Chopper... I'm not sure if that's a good idea..." Silvera warned, but Chopper ignored her and headed that way. The moment the Sanins saw him, they drew their katanas and got in a fighting position.

"Halt!"

One of them thrust their open hand forward, and suddenly a force of wind was able to knock Chopper off his feet, along with knocking away his Diamond ability. As he finally got up, he stared at the ninja figures awkwardly.

"Ummmmm... Hi." Chopper waved. "Can I go through?"

"You wouldn't want to go through there. That's Katanife territory."

"A Katanife? And what would that be?" Flyer asked.

"You've never heard of the Katanifes?" one of the Saninjas gawked. "I guess you two are new here..."

"I come from Clara," Chopper smiled.

"Clara? Never heard of it..." another Sanin ninja commented. "Anyway, the Katanifes are the deadliest of the clans out here in Ava. They settle north, while we Saninjas settle here. If I could give you two newbies some advice... I'd try not to stand out in the open. Eyes are watching you... And you could be suddenly robbed, especially by a Bandorm, one of our rival clans."

"But... We really need to go out there to look for something!"

"Sorry, kid, but no can do," the third Saninja stated. "You thought the Bandorms are an issue? Well the Katanifes will leave you on your knees! They have more equipment than us...and they've got more people to boot. And it's not just them to worry about. Thiebers are out there too, and they've managed to take some of our maps to those Katanifes. If you ask me, you're better off finding a safe place...or going back to your own world."

"So... There's nothing we can do to get through?" Flyer wondered. "Not if we said we were capable of taking care of ourselves?"

"I beat an evil demon a few times!" Chopper mentioned.

"No means no, kids, even with your dumb fairy tales. Now leave us. We need to keep guard of this place."

Chopper frowned as he turned around and slowly walked away from the Saninjas. Flyer flew after him, giving the antennae boy a sympathetic look.

"Don't be so upset, Chopper," Flyer said. "Sometimes you can't always have things go the way you want..."

"But... We really should go through there..." Chopper sighed. "If only there was a way to get past those ninjas..."

"Why not just fight them?" Silvera suggested. "I'm sure you can take them on."

"But I only fight bad guys. I'd feel bad if I hurt them..."

"Psssst! Hey!"

Chopper's antennae perked up to the sound and turned to his right. Standing next to a staircase going to a house was a figure wearing beige clothing and a brown cloak and hood shielding his face, except for his orange eyes.

"Huh? Who're you?" Chopper asked.

"My identity is none of your concern..." the cloaked figure answered in a deep voice. "But I heard that you wanna go through that gate, right?"

"Yeah!"

"Well... Lemme tell you a little secret... Sure, there's the Saninjas and the Bandorms, but there's also another clan. They call themselves the Scarvanas. Those guys are far beyond those two. Even the Katanifes are cautious about them."

"Really? How come those Saninjas didn't mention them?" Chopper questioned.

"That's 'cause they were wiped out," the cloaked figure answered, making Chopper's face fall. "But only one remains... But, he's no pushover, and the other clans are cautious around him. I saw him go through that gate several times. He calls himself Kiwi."

"Kiwi? Well... Thank you for the information..." Flyer said politely. "But where can we find him?"

"There's a narrow path past this building. Go there, and you should find his house. But I must warn you... No one dares to go near that house. Not even the Saninjas and Bandorms bother to get near. He's not exactly the most welcoming of people coming to his house..."

"Well that's fine! I'm gonna go there now, whether he likes it or not!" Chopper cheered, and the cloaked figure suddenly blinked in surprise.

"Wait... What?!" the figure gasped, not sounding as deep. "Er... I mean, hold on..." he started, his voice deep once more. "Just think about it for a moment... This is Kiwi we're talking about! He could give you a pretty nasty beating if you get near his house! He's got traps set up to keep intruders away!"

"Well... I'm not afraid of him! Ten-year-olds like me shouldn't be scared of those kind of people!"

"OK... But don't come crying back to me if you get hurt."

"Come on, Flyer! Let's go see this Kiwi!" Chopper declared, making a run past the building and to the narrow pathway to the left. Flyer followed behind, only a bit more cautious.

* * *

"Hmmmm... Well, what do you know? Apparently I had the photo with me this whole time." Beldam realized. After a small search through her inventory, she ended up discovering the photo Maquano had given to her.

"Beldam! I TOLD you! Blaming me for losing the photo...and YOU had it!"

"Pipe down, you twit! Now's not the time to get hissy with me! It's time we studied this photo!"

"Guh! Guhhhhh?" Marilyn grunted.

"Now then..." Beldam took a look at the photo, and her two sisters took a look down at it as well. "What? This is it? This is the Chopper that Lord Maquano was looking for?! He's so...small! And what's up with those antennae?"

"He looks pretty cute," Vivian commented.

"That's because you find anything small cute, worm."

"Guh! Guhhhhh!"

"What? You say you've seen him before? And he had left a few minutes ago?! Gah! Then we've already missed him!" Beldam gawked, putting away the photo. "I must say, Marilyn... Thank you for this vital information. At least you're obedient and get the job done, unlike Vivian here! All of this is your fault, you know! Expect a strict punishment coming your way later, my dearie!"

"What?! But that's not fair!" Vivian cried. "You're the one who had the..."

"Silence, you squirrel-brain! Don't you cop that insolent attitude with me!"

"Ugh! This is NOT fair..."

"And about that ring... I was thinking about returning it to you, but I've changed my mind now!"

"Awww..." Vivian sniffled.

"Not only that, but since you've caused this problem, you have to figure out how to find that Chopper!"

"Uhhhh-guh..." Marilyn grunted, while Vivian tried her best to keep her tears from showing.

"So, Vivian... Care to give us an idea of where Chopper could be?" Beldam asked, narrowing her eyes angrily at her sister.

"O-OK... Well... I...guess we should look for a town?" Vivian guessed.

"Then we'll start by looking there! Maybe we can get something out of the people there... For now, let's get a move on, my lovelies!"

With that, the three slipped into the shadows.

* * *

Several traps had sprung out along the way to Kiwi's house. Some included boxing gloves springing out of the walls, logs hanging from trees swinging forward, and even some boots to kick people out. But for Chopper, he easily maneuvered through them without harm. Flyer easily flew around these obstacles.

Eventually Chopper had slowed down when he spotted a building up ahead. The house itself wasn't all that big, appearing to only be fit for about two people. Sure, there was a second floor, but not even that was big compared to the first floor.

When Chopper reached the front door, he spotted a symbol of a scarf on it.

"So... This is where Kiwi lives, huh?" Silvera wondered, flying out of Chopper.

"We better be careful," Flyer warned. "If this Kiwi is really dangerous... Then we should try not to be so rude. After all, we got past his traps."

Chopper didn't waste time in knocking on the door, although his knocking was more like banging instead. But when he stepped away from the door, footsteps could be heard until the door opened a smidge.

"Visitors? It's been a while since people have come to my house..." a deep voice spoke coldly. "Especially since I've planted lots of traps around..."

"Remember, Chopper... Let's try to be nice..." Flyer whispered.

"OK," Chopper nodded before turning to the door. "Ummmm... Hi! We were told to come to you..."

"You have a lot of nerve going through my traps and coming to me... Why would they tell you to find me?" Kiwi questioned. "Don't you know of my reputation?"

"Well we're not from here. I'm from Clara!"

"Clara? That makes sense... What's your name?"

"Oh... I'm Chopper!"

For a moment, Kiwi made no response. However, after a few seconds passed, the door fully opened, revealing a figure around Chopper's height, except an inch or two taller. A beige hood and mask covered his face, with an opening revealing white oval-shaped eyes. A brown, tarnished cloaked was covering most of his body, while his arms and legs were gray. Meanwhile, he had brown gloves and boots.

"You're Kiwi? But... You're small..." Chopper trailed.

"Well he's still a little taller than you..." Silvera noted.

"You..." Kiwi took a look at Chopper for a moment before quickly shaking his head. "No, I'm probably just thinking too much. Why did you come here?"

"We're trying to go through the left gate of this town," Flyer explained. "Unfortunately, these Saninjas are guarding it, and they will not let us through. Someone informed us that you could get us through."

"Why would you want to go through there? That's Thieber and Katanife territory."

"Well we're trying to look for something called a Silver Star, like me," Silvera explained. "If we don't get them all, every universe is in grave danger."

"Every universe? Hmmmmm... I'm not sure whether to believe you or not... However, since you people aren't from Ava, I'll roll with it. If you want to go through that gate so badly, then I guess I might as well help you out, but you'll have to do something in return for me."

"Oh... Well, what do you want us to do?" Chopper asked.

"Those Katanifes... They've stolen something from me." Kiwi started, putting his hands on his hips. "I would get it back myself, but unfortunately, going in there alone is too dangerous. They're real good at detecting intruders, and while I _might_ be able to take them... It'd be too difficult, even for myself. Now, I don't know too much about you three... But maybe you might be able to help me out, since no one wants to even approach me."

"You want us to help you get back something from those Katanifes? OK! I can do that!"

"Are you sure, Chopper? We need to find the Silver Star here..." Silvera reminded.

"I thank you for agreeing to help. Just give me a moment to grab something before we head off."

Kiwi headed back into his house, closing the door behind him.

"I...didn't think this Kiwi would hide behind a mask..." Flyer commented.

"But masks look cool," Chopper said.

Kiwi had come back a few seconds later, only his eyes were widened, and his body was shaking.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"This is not good..." Kiwi gulped. "I can't believe I dropped it!"

"Dropped what?" Chopper wondered.

"My golden ring! Oh, man... This isn't good..."

"A golden ring?" Flyer spoke, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes... It's something very important to me. It was the last thing I was given before..."

"Can you tell us what it looks like?"

"Well, I can show you..." Kiwi pulled out a thick, golden ring. "It looks like this. I'm supposed to have two, but apparently one is missing."

"Hey, wait a minute..." Chopper took a look at the ring carefully, and for a moment, an image of a similar one popped in his mind. "Flyer, didn't one of those purple ghosts have one?"

"Oh... Oh right!" Flyer realized, a similar image popping into his head. "One of them found that!"

"Wait, you know where my ring is?" Kiwi gawked.

"Uh huh!" Chopper nodded.

"Then... Would you take me to the person who has it? If you can help me get it back, then I'll be nice enough to help you find that Silver Star you're looking for too."

"We can do that! Come on! Follow me!"

Once Silvera flew back into Chopper, he made a mad dash forward, creating a wind that left Kiwi with widened eyes.

"How fast _is_ he?!"

"You haven't seen nothing," Flyer replied before he followed behind. Kiwi followed as well, and to the Wingel's surprise, he was passing by him. "Whoa... I didn't think he'd be faster than me, especially on foot!"

* * *

When Chopper had come back to the main part of Saninja Town, he started to look around, while Flyer and Kiwi were able to reach him and stop. They followed where Chopper was looking, but then their attention was drawn to three purple figures right by the cloaked figure they saw earlier. To their shock, the large one was holding him up, while a few Saninjas a few feet away were encapsulated in ice.

Just the sight of this made Chopper put on a determined look and clench his fists.

"All right, spill it out!" Beldam barked, showing him a photo of Chopper. "Did you see someone named Chopper? He looks like this!"

"Errr... Well... I might've seen him..."

"Where?"

Before he could answer, two feet suddenly struck Beldam in the head, leaving her in a small daze. Marilyn had let go of the cloaked figure as she and Vivian watched Chopper do a somersault in the air while landing back by his friends.

"Ungh... Whoever did that is going to pay with their..." Beldam stopped herself when she spotted Chopper. "Well now... It seems that luck is on our side, because Chopper is standing right in front of us!"

"Are they the ones you mentioned?" Kiwi asked, and Chopper gave him a nod. "Good. You there. You've got something that belongs to me."

"Why would I ever take something from a person? That's more Vivian's style. But as for you, Chopper... Lord Maquano doesn't want you snooping around his business, so we're here to fix that."

"And who are you three supposed to be?" Chopper asked. "You're unlike anything I've run into in the past."

"Mmmmmmwee hee hee hee! Oh, you want to know who we are? Very well! It is only fair that you get to know of us as well!" Beldam cackled. "We are..."

"The Three..." Marilyn added.

"Shadow Beauties!" Vivian squealed, and Chopper's serious look became more bewildered.

"Huh? The Three Shadow Beauties?" Chopper found himself scratching the side of his head.

"Vivian, you nincompoop!" Beldam yelled, startling Chopper, Flyer, and Kiwi. "What are you babbling about? It's Shadow SIRENS! I don't see three beauties! I can say that for two of us, but you? You're the _ugliest_ thing I've ever laid my eyes on!"

"Chopper..." Flyer whispered. "I just want to let you know that you're the best friend I've ever have."

"Oh... Uhh... You too...?" Chopper replied, though he looked more confused than happy, especially with what he saw.

"I'm sorry, Sis..." Vivian sniffled, wiping away a tear. "It's just, you always call us 'lovelies,' and..."

"It's just a figure of speech!" Beldam growled. "Ooh... You've got a _fierce_ punishment coming your way!"

"Aw, gee whiz... I hate being punished..." the Shadow Siren cried, falling on her "knees".

"But that'll come later... Right, now, we must take care of this Chopper and his friends!"

"If I have to fight to get my ring back, then so be it. But let's not fight here." Kiwi advised. "It'll only get us in trouble."

"Very well then..." Beldam took a look at the open gate to the right. "Then we shall leave town and settle it there! Come, my sisters! Follow me!"

When the Shadow Sirens sank into the shadows, Chopper, Flyer, and Kiwi hurried toward the open gate on the right pathway. Once they were out of town, they were right before a sandy field with a cliff ahead. Many rocks were everywhere, and to the right was a sandy slope going to the bottom of the cliff.

Once the three stopped in the middle of the field, the Shadow Sirens emerged from the ground. Beldam took the time to scan her surroundings while slowly nodding.

"Yes... I think this will do nicely. There's plenty of room to fight here. Now then..." Beldam brought her attention to the three, who got into a fighting stance. "It's time we settled this! Let's do this, my lovelies...or rather, my lovely and ugly! Marilyn! Vivian! The might of The Three Shadow Sirens will be more than enough to win the day!"

"Oh, OK..." Vivian mumbled.

"GUUUHHH!" Marilyn grunted.

"All right, then let's settle this," Chopper declared.

"At least it's three against three," Flyer noted, aiming his Blast-O.

"You're about to find out what happens when you refuse to give me back my ring," Kiwi said, drawing two beige hammers and twirling them around.

 _ **Mid-boss: The Three Shadow Sirens**_

 _ **Beldam the ice sorceress... Marilyn the thunder sorceress... And Vivian the fire sorceress... With them working as a team, they're more than a match for anything that stands in their way. Beware of Beldam's magic and Marilyn's strength...**_

"It's such a shame that our sights are set on you. Well, a shame for you, of course." Beldam stated, her hands conjuring up ice magic. "Marilyn! Vivian! Let's show them precisely what we can do!"

"Guh!" Marilyn nodded.

"Yes, Sis!" Vivian replied in an unhappy tone.

"This is a good chance for me to use my Star Spin!" Chopper smiled as Beldam fired ice magic their way. He leaped in the air and landed in between the three Shadow Sirens. He spread his arms out and started to spin rapidly so sparkles covered his fists, while a green trail was left behind. Beldam was the first to get hit in the face, throwing her back. Marilyn had been thrown back, but her weight made her travel not as far. Vivian's knockback was in between Beldam and Marilyn's.

While Beldam was in a daze, Chopper charged toward her with a Star Dash. But before he could land a kick, yellow lightning struck from above, knocking him onto the floor.

"Mmmwee hee hee! Excellent work, Marilyn! Now..." Beldam aimed her hands at Chopper and started conjuring up a blizzard spell. "Time to give Lord Maquano his ice sculpture!"

Before she could fire the spell, a hammer suddenly hit her in the head. Turning around, Beldam spotted Kiwi tossing up a hammer and catching it.

"If you give me back my ring, I might go easy on you," Kiwi informed.

"Bah! As if I'd listen to you!" Beldam sank into the shadows and rose in front of Kiwi to throw an ice punch. He jumped back and swung one of his hammers at her.

"Don't worry! I have an endless supply of these hammers!" Kiwi assured, landing a combo on her, but as she was about to slam his hammers down, the eldest Shadow Siren went back into the shadows and then emerged from behind. With an ice punch, Kiwi was thrown forward.

While Kiwi was taking on Beldam, Flyer had flown over to Chopper to help him up. But then the largest Shadow Siren emerged in front of them and clapped her hands in an attempt to crush them. The Wingel managed to pull Chopper back and fire shots from his Blast-O. Marilyn put up her arms to block them, but she didn't expect Chopper to strike her with a Slide Kick to break her guard.

"Chopper, I should be able to handle her," Flyer assured. "She may be the strongest... But luckily, I have brains!"

"OK! You've got this!" Chopper nodded, leaping back.

Marilyn raised her arms and summoned more lightning, but Flyer easily flew to the side and started shooting electric shots. One managed to strike her, and she found herself paralyzed for a brief moment. This allowed Flyer to fire an ice shot that exploded upon impact, throwing her back.

"This should be easy," Flyer smiled. "As long as I'm in the air, she won't be able to get me!"

Marilyn went into the shadows and emerged near Flyer, and to his shock, her ghostly tail extended so she was able to reach him. Throwing her two fists down, the Wingel was knocked into the sand. He managed to get himself up and avoid Marilyn's next lightning strike before it could sizzle him.

"OK... This might be tougher than I thought..." Flyer sighed. "Remember... I must use my head for this."

"I guess they seem to be doing well..." Chopper commented, watching Flyer and Kiwi face off the two Shadow Sirens.

"Hold on, Chopper..." Silvera spoke up. "Wasn't there another?"

Chopper's antennae suddenly perked up when he noticed something glowing red behind him. He jumped in the air and noticed a fireball pass below. Landing, he looked behind and saw the youngest Shadow Siren with her hands shaking and surrounded in fire.

"Oh... It's her..." Chopper realized, and a sympathetic look was on his face after what he remember seeing. Well, until another fireball came his way. He acted quickly, inhaling it and spitting it back in the form of a yellow star. Vivian gasped and managed to get out of the way just in time. "I guess I have to take her on..."

With a Star Boost charged, he dashed toward Vivian, who quickly went into the shadows to avoid him. He came to a quick halt and turned around to face Vivian emerging. Only this time, her finger was raised. With it sparkling, fire suddenly shot near Chopper, who recoiled in response and charged again. Like before, Vivian hid in the shadows and emerged behind.

"Why is she avoiding me?" Chopper wondered, but his antennae picked up a flaming punch coming his way, so he did a Backward Somersault, following up with stomping on Vivian's head.

Of course, this did not go unnoticed by Beldam.

"What are you DOING, Vivian?" Beldam shouted, noticing Chopper easily dodge one of her punches. "You twit, I'll never forgive you if you lose!"

"S-Sorry, Sis..." Vivian stammered, throwing in a fiery punch, but as before, Chopper easily dodged it. But to her luck, her next punch managed to hit him, knocking the antennae boy back a foot.

However, to her shock, it didn't look like it fazed him that much. But when she got a much better look at him after quickly recovering from the hit, she blinked in shock. Instead of Chopper standing before her, someone in his shape with a green, conic hat and blonde hair was in his place for a brief moment.

"You... No, it couldn't be..." Vivian gasped.

"Huh? Why are looking at me like that?" Chopper asked, but when he looked over at the other two, they seemed to be in trouble. "Uh oh... I might need to help them... But I need to speed this up. ...Wait, I have a Fire Shield Star, don't I?"

Taking out the Fire Shield Star, Chopper absorbed the Star Energy from it and gained a Fire Shield. This helped protect him from another one of Vivian's fire attacks, which didn't seem to do a thing to him.

"Oh no..." Vivian gulped, shooting a few more fire spells, but they only disintegrated upon hitting the barrier. "My fire attacks aren't doing anything..."

"What are you waiting for? Take her down!" Silvera shouted.

"Oh... Right." Chopper nodded.

With a Star Dash, he was able to knock Vivian back, all the while running toward her. Chopper put his Star Spin to use to do some additional damage, then when Vivian had finally stopped sliding across the sand, he leaped above her and landed a Super Stomp.

Once he bounced off her, Vivian could take no more and collapsed.

"Sorry, Sis..." Vivian moaned, struggling to even stand up. Chopper had smiled and held up two fingers in victory, but the moment he saw her shed a tear, his sympathetic look was back.

But his attention was brought back to Flyer, who had just been grabbed by Marilyn and was already crushing him. Clenching his fists, he rushed toward the large Shadow Siren and struck her with a Star Dash. With his Fire Shield on him, his attack did some additional fire damage as well. Flyer had finally been released, allowing him to fire a few ice shots at Marilyn.

"Guh..." Marilyn grunted, returning to the two and throwing in thunder punches. Chopper easily maneuvered past them and kicked her belly. She heaved in pain, allowing Flyer to shoot an explosive fire shot at her.

"Marilyn! Do not give up so soon! Let me give you support!" Beldam insisted, using her magic to make Marilyn grow bigger. "Mmmwee hee hee! That should help you out! Hit them, Marilyn! NOW!"

"Guh!"

Adding more of her power to the mix, Marilyn brought her fists down, causing the ground to shake temporarily and lift Chopper and Flyer off their feet. However, this wasn't stopping Chopper from hitting her with a Star Spin. However, the punch she delivered was just as deadly, knocking him back toward his best friend. Thankfully, his Fire Shield prevented him from taking any damage, although it was now gone because of that attack.

"Chopper, we should finish her with a Whirlwind Launch," Flyer suggested.

"O-OK... Good idea." Chopper mumbled, getting himself up. Once Flyer flew up, Chopper grabbed his arm, and both swung around rapidly. Eventually the Wingel released him and let Chopper charge forward. Meanwhile, Marilyn raised her arms to summon lightning. While Flyer was struck, the antennae boy was too fast, and with one Star Dash, the largest Shadow Siren found herself on the ground.

"Ugh-guhhh..." Marilyn moaned, she too struggling to get up. The spell Beldam cast had worn off, returning her to her normal size.

"Nice work, Chopper!" Flyer complimented, giving his friend a high five. "Now we just have the leader left..."

Unfortunately for Kiwi, he was in a bad situation. With his feet covered in ice, he had no way of moving. For Beldam, this made it easier to fire ice spells his way. But to her dismay, he seemed to be able to block them with his hammers.

"Gah! Why won't you just give up?!" Beldam growled. "You can't move your feet!"

"Well, I can still fight back without moving my own legs," Kiwi countered.

"No matter... My blizzard spell should do the trick!"

With that, she fired a blizzard spell his way, causing Kiwi to shiver. But before Beldam could freeze him, Chopper had jumped in and stomped on her head, then landed by Kiwi.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! You're tougher than I thought, Chopper!" Beldam grunted. "I guess Lord Maquano was not bluffing when he said you were a thorn on his side..."

"At least he knows not to mess with me," Chopper replied, breaking the ice around Kiwi's feet.

"Thank you, Chopper," Kiwi sighed in relief. "Now... Let's finish off this hag."

With his two hammers gripped, he charged at Beldam with full force and started striking her with many hammer swings. Each one seemed more painful than the last as he started swinging both hammers at once.

"You _will_ give me back my ring!"

"Gah! Why are you going after me?! Vivian's the one who found it in the first place!" Beldam cried while being struck each time.

"But you took it from her," Chopper mentioned, running behind her to kick her forward.

As Beldam came back toward Kiwi, he swung his hammers upward. As she was launched into the air, a golden ring had dropped right in front of him.

"Yes!" Kiwi smiled, scooping the ring off the ground. "OK, Chopper! Go ahead and finish the job!"

Nodding, Chopper leaped into the air once Beldam fell, and with one Super Stomp, it was enough to make her collapse on the ground.

"Mmmmwee hee haaaaaaaack! Oooog. Maybe we were a tad overconfident..." Beldam moaned, struggling to even push herself up.

"That's what happens when you try to hurt me and my friends," Chopper declared. "Maquano learned that when he destroyed my old homeworld, Mondrao."

Kiwi had blinked in surprise as Beldam finally stood up, sneering at the other two Shadow Sirens that were getting up.

"Marilyn! Vivian! You lumps! We would've won if you two pulled your weight! You two prepare for a world-class punishment session when we get back home!"

"Guhhhhh..."

"Y-Yes, Sis..."

Rather than escape via the shadows, the Shadow Sirens bolted away from the three, leaving Chopper to sigh in relief.

"Whew... Well that takes care of them!" Chopper smiled, raising a fist as a sign of victory. "And I didn't even need to copy an ability to beat them!"

"Well, it's a good thing we had Kiwi on our side," Flyer noted. "Without him, it wouldn't have been so easy."

"Yeah! Thanks for the help, Kiwi!" Chopper turned to Kiwi, but the stare he was giving him made him confused. "Kiwi? Are you OK?"

"Chopper... I don't believe it... It really is you..." Kiwi gawked.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Chopper and Flyer blinked in surprise when Kiwi grabbed his mask and removed it. What they weren't expecting, however, was a female, pink face with black, oval-shaped eyes.

"It's me, Choppy! Your old friend from Mondrao, Berry!"


	12. Berry, the Last Scarvana

Chapter 12: Berry, The Last Scarvana

After this surprising reveal, the trio had gone back to the house. However, Chopper and Flyer were walking with more shock than usual. After all, who would've thought that this dangerous Scarvana they've been hearing...was just some girl? And her name was Berry?

The two had finally gotten the chance to enter the house, which surprisingly was not as bad as they thought. Sure, there might've been some sand in the corners, but it wasn't much. The walls were a plain white, while the floor was covered in a dark gray carpeting. There was even a living room with a TV and Wii U on a table, along with a red couch, a kitchen, and even a dining room to boot!

And by the time they were in this house, their mysterious ally had a drastic change in appearance after a few minutes thanks to ridding herself of the ragged cloak, hood, brown gloves and boots, and the suit that was hiding her pink skin on her arms and legs.

Like Chopper and Flyer, she had the same oval-shaped black eyes, along with a round head. However, unlike them, she actually had a body and not just a head. On her was a pale pink scarf, a red, sleeveless ninja outfit going down a few inches below her waist, at least on the back and the sides. On her outfit was a gray, triangle-shaped detail on both the front and back slightly above the center, along with pale pink sash tied around her waist. Berry also wore white gloves similarly to Chopper and Flyer, but rather than sock-like cuffs, her golden rings were there instead. The pink girl was also wearing gray tights that ended a few inches above her knees, and on her feet were red boots. Finally, she had long, deep pink hair that ended near her boots, and she had two strands on coming from the sides a few inches longer than her bangs.

Just this sudden change of appearance made the two even more bewildered as they all sat on the couch.

"Wait... So let me get this straight..." Flyer began. "You know Chopper?"

"That's right," Berry nodded. "We used to hang out together at the daycare. I really enjoyed his company!"

"Very intriguing..."

"What about you? What're you doing with him?"

"Oh, right! I never got the chance to introduce myself before! Ahem..." Flyer cleared his throne. "My name is Flyer, a Wingel from Elsa. It's not too far from Clara... Well, Chopper and I have been best friends ever since we first met."

"Wow... Well, at least you managed to get some friends to talk to you..."

"Hold on a second," Silvera stepped in, flying out of Chopper. "Chopper told me he was the last of his kind! If you're still here... Then that means?"

"Yeah! Now there's only two of us left!" Berry smiled upon the sudden realization. "I feel a lot better now that I'm not the only one of my kind left..."

"Wait... If you're both the same species, then how come you look a lot different?"

"Beats me. I guess we just appear very different?"

"How did you escape the planet before it got destroyed?" Flyer wondered.

"Well, my parents spotted someone about to leave, and they requested that I was to be taken with them. Before I left, they gave me these pair of rings that I've been wearing on my wrists. They're the last thing for me to remember them by, and I would do anything to get them back." Berry explained. "Then I was taken here... That's pretty much all I remember... But now there's no need to be too concerned about being alone!"

"Isn't this amazing, Chopper?" Flyer asked, turning to his friend.

"Oh, uh... Yay! I'm glad I'm not the only one left!" Chopper cheered. "But... You look a lot different... Your hair's a lot longer."

"You've barely changed," Berry remarked. "Though, it looks like your antennae only got longer, but I'm fine with that!"

"Speaking of change, why you were wearing the mask and disguise?" Flyer asked

"Oh... That." Berry chuckled nervously. "It's just that... I felt that no one would take me so seriously if I showed myself like this. I've actually been doing it for four years after my grandpa died..."

"I'm so sorry to hear that... I suppose this is his house?"

"Yeah... Since he's gone, I'm the only one taking care of it... But it's a lot better now that you're here! Especially you, Choppy!" Berry smiled, moving a little closer to him. "I didn't think of all people it would be _you_ who'd be around."'

"Ummmm... Same?" Chopper replied, oblivious to her being a few inches closer.

"Admittedly, I was pretty reluctant to help out... But knowing that it was you, Choppy... I'd do _anything_ for you." Berry smiled, crossing her legs and leaning a little closer to him. Chopper noticed her cheeks have a pair of red lightning bolts on them when she blushed, and he was raising an eyebrow. This did not go unnoticed by Flyer.

"Was there something between you and her, Chopper?" Flyer asked.

"Huh? What do you mean, Flyer?" Chopper questioned.

"Well, as I promised... I'll help you get through the gate and find the Silver Star." Berry said, getting off the sofa. "Let me just grab my Ruby Hammer!"

She immediately ran upstairs, leaving the other three to wait. However, everyone's eyes were on Chopper's.

"Really, Chopper... What went on between you two back then?" Flyer asked.

"Huh? I...don't know." Chopper shrugged.

"She got pretty close to you, you know..." Silvera mentioned.

"Ohhhhhh... ...I have no idea."

The two sighed in defeat, while Berry made her return. Only this time, she was holding a red hammer with a yellow trim, pale pink faces, and a pale pink handle.

"Wait... That's the hammer you use?" Flyer gawked. "But what about the other one?"

"This is my best hammer," Berry explained, placing it on her back. "The others were nothing compared to what mine can do."

Silvera flew back into Chopper as the trio walked outside. Just stepping out of her house made Berry take a deep breath.

"OK... This is the first time I'm coming out of this house without my disguise... I just hope no one realizes who I am..."

"I don't think that matters," Chopper said. "You should go out as yourself a lot! I finally got to be what I wanted to six years ago, and I feel better about myself!"

"Maybe you're right," Berry gently smiled before the trio made a run forward.

* * *

Once they were back in the main part of Saninja Town, the cloaked figure had immediately approached them. Berry found her eyes widening as she did her best to hide herself behind the two.

"Hey... I wanted to thank you for saving me back there." the cloaked figure said, not sounding as deep as he pulled down his hood, revealing his gray face and beige hair. "My name's Deso. I'm guessing you managed to convince Kiwi to help you?"

"Yeah!" Chopper nodded.

"OK... Well, I'll let you get back to business." Deso said, and Chopper and Flyer carried on. However, his eyes took notice of Berry hiding behind them, and he double-took for a moment. "Wait... Who's that girl?"

As the three were approaching the left gate, a few thieves from earlier, otherwise named the Bandorms, were hiding behind some barrels to take a peek at them. Greedy looks were on their faces as they snickered.

"Heh heh heh... Those three stick out so much here!" the first Bandorm mentioned. "It's like they're ASKIN' to be robbed!"

"Yeah! I bet they have somethin' good!" the second Bandorm grinned mischievously. "Let's get to muggin'!"

"Heh heh! Yeah!" the third Bandorm snickered, and the three immediately went into action, quietly approaching the three. All they could think of was the amount of valuable items they would have on them.

They would've thought more about it, had Berry not swung her Ruby Hammer and left them dazed on the ground.

"Huh?" Chopper and Flyer turned around and were surprised to see the three Bandorms on the ground, while Berry's hammer was out.

"Wh-What?! How'd you know we were there?!" the first Bandorm asked. "No one was able to spot us! Well, only that Kiwi was able to do that, but-"

"Well, you are right that Kiwi can," Berry nodded. "It was no problem for him...and it was definitely no problem for me."

"Huh? What... Wait a moment..." the second Bandorm took the moment to think, and upon realization, it raised its eyebrows in bewilderment. "You mean all this time... That Scarvana was just some seven-year-old girl?!"

"Yes... And I did a pretty good job hiding myself. ...Also, it's a ten-year-old girl; not seven."

With that out of the way, Berry turned back to Chopper and Flyer, and they resumed their travel to the left gate. The Bandorms, meanwhile, watched in shock.

"OK... I think I must be dreaming here..." the first Bandorm commented, hitting the second on the head.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"Just checking to see if I'm dreaming or not."

"Last time I checked, I would have to be the one to hit you," the second Bandorm noted.

Along the way to the gate, Chopper spotted a Star Medal on one of the building's roofs, so he leaped up there to claim it. Afterward, they stood a several feet away from the gate, while the Saninjas paid no attention to them.

"OK... So we're at the gate... How do we plan on going through?" Flyer asked.

"By becoming invisible, of course."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"You'll see. After that comes the distraction!"

Berry took out what appeared to be a magazine.

"What's that?" Chopper asked.

"It's something my grandpa had when he was around... He never let me look at it... I don't know why, but it apparently distracts those Saninjas!"

"Oh... How remarkable. Why don't we put this plan into action?" Flyer suggested.

Berry nodded, and she immediately grabbed Chopper's hand to pull him close, much to his horror. Flyer had grabbed her arm, and in a puff of smoke, the three suddenly became transparent.

"OK... Let's go!" Berry declared, running toward the gate. The other two followed behind and watched as she dropped the magazine a few feet away from the Saninjas. Their attention was drawn to it, allowing the three to pass by.

"Hey, it's a magazine," one of the Saninjas commented, picking it up and opening it. That was when a page completely unfolded, leaving the ninja guard with widened eyes. "Whoa..."

"Nice..."

"You never see blades like _those_ these days... And it's limited addition too!"

With the Saninjas distracted, the trio was able to go through the gate and reach the large desert field lying ahead of them. Only now, several small structures were knocked over in some areas. Thankfully, there was a clear trail for them to take.

Chopper and Flyer were left in astonishment as a puff of smoke appeared around the three, making them visible once more.

"Well, here we are... This is the first time I've actually gone out here as myself..." Berry sighed. "But at least it's with you people..."

Before they could take a step, the sound of a loud roar thundered in the sky, catching Chopper and Flyer off guard. They looked around to figure out where the roar came from, but then a large shadow towered over all three of them for a brief moment. Flying further ahead was a large, yellow dragon creature with a snake-like body sporting four legs.

While Chopper and Flyer were left in shock, Berry was a whole different story.

"N-No..." Berry found her entire body shaking as the dragon flew farther away from them. "But he wasn't supposed to be here for another hundred years!"

"Wait... You know this dragon?" Flyer gawked.

"W-Well... Ummm... Maybe... I just heard that he only wakes every hundred years... But _now_ he's awake? Something's not right here..."

"Hey..." Silvera spoke up. "I don't know why... But I was seriously feeling some sort of energy coming from that monster... You don't think...?"

"If that dragon has the Silver Star, then we might as well go after that thing!" Chopper declared.

"Are you sure it's coming from that dragon?" Berry asked, still looking uncertain while watching the dragon fly off.

"Is there something troubling you about that dragon?" Flyer wondered.

"N-No... It's all right!" Berry took a deep breath and tried to put on a determined look. "We've gotta find the Katanife Hideout. Luckily, I know where to go."

Chopper nodded, and he decided to run forward. Not too far behind was Berry, who he was surprised to see moving at a pretty decent speed. Flyer was just a couple of feet behind her and keeping up with the help of his wings.

Before Chopper could comment on this, his attention was quickly drawn to a few Darklings that got in the way. Lucky for him, all he needed to do was take them out with a Star Dash. Just the sight of him becoming a green comet made Berry gawk.

" _OK... He's definitely a lot more different than when I first met him..."_ Berry thought.

Chopper noticed the trail branch into two separate paths. The one to the left appeared to have a few more broken architecture. Meanwhile, the right revealed several small camps, along with a few mountains. Chopper ended up coming to a sudden halt just from the two arrows, though no signposts were present.

"Ummmm... Which way?" Chopper wondered, putting a hand near his mouth.

"The Thieber Hideout is to the left," Berry informed. "There's this large chasm to cross, but luckily a bridge is set up to cross it."

"OK!" Chopper nodded and headed toward the left. He passed by many of the broken ruins until he spotted a gorge ahead. He had barely gone off the edge when he slowed down. "Whoa... That was too close..."

When Flyer and Berry finally reached him, the latter looked around. The moment she saw the bridge broken in half, her eyes widened in shock.

"Wait... The bridge is out?" Berry gawked. "But... How?!"

"It's OK! We can have Flyer fly us over!" Chopper assured.

"Uhhhh... Chopper... That'd probably take a lot out of me." Flyer informed. "I may have good flying skills... But I can't necessarily fly forever. And that chasm is pretty big. I might tire out before I even reach the other side."

"Oh..." Chopper frowned in disappointment, but then his attention was drawn to what appeared to be a trail of Starries starting from their side and then leading to the other. "Hey... Look at those Starries!"

"Hmmmm?" the Wingel got a look at the Starries and gaped. "Oh my... This is interesting... But what are they doing forming a trail?"

"I...don't know."

"Look, let's just go the other way," Berry suggested. "We can't get over here on our own... But maybe if we go to the Thiebers, we could hopefully get some help. After all, they cross that chasm as well."

"Oh... In that case, let's go the other way." Chopper agreed as the three returned to the sign. This time, they headed to the right. "So... What are these guys we're going to?"

"Well... They're pretty dangerous, especially since we're entering their territory... They're also thieves just like the Bandorms... But while they may not be the most subtle, the Thiebers are a whole different story... So I'd be careful if I were you... You might not even notice them slipping by and stealing something!"

"Oh... Well, I think I can handle them! ...I think."

While traveling toward the right side of the desert field, Chopper spotted what appeared to be a red, dog-like enemy with floppy ears, one pair of legs, and a long tail resembling a whip pointing upward. Just from getting near it, the enemy, named a Lasher, swung its tail near Chopper, causing him to recoil.

However, curiosity was also in Chopper's head as he inhaled the Lasher, leaving Berry to gawk. Once he swallowed the enemy, he gained a silver tiara that wrapped around the front of his head, with a reddish orange crest in the center. In his hand, meanwhile, was a dark yellow whip.

 _ **Copy Ability: Whip**_

 _ **It's time to go out there and use your new whip! Striking enemies is so easy with its long range and its ability to pull them close! Don't forget that you can pull items near you and grab hooks to get to unreachable areas!**_

"Huh? I don't think I had this ability before..." Chopper commented, looking at the whip in his hands.

"OK... I think I really need to ask... What the heck is up with you?" Berry asked. "I've never seen you do something like this, even against the Shadow Sirens."

"Oh... Uhhh... I guess I got this heart object from someone, and it gave me these crazy abilities. It was pretty hard to use them at first... But now I can use them just fine. I even managed to beat down Maquano!"

"Maquano? Who's he?"

"The one who took all of the Silver Stars' powers," Silvera answered, and Berry blinked in confusion.

"Wait... That star thing can talk even when she's not around? Strange..."

"My name's Silvera..."

"Anyway, I hope you know how to use that ability, Chopper," Flyer said

"I should be fine," Chopper assured. "I feel like I know a few new things now with this!"

As they resumed their run, the trio hadn't gone unnoticed by a few figures that were hiding behind some rocks. Their appearance included a pale yellow cloak with a hood, beige gloves and boots, and a mask covering the lower part of their dirty brown face, which included purple eyes. The figures snickered as the group got farther.

"Heh. Easy targets." the first figure smirked. "A green, yellow, and pink figure out here in the desert? We've got this in the bag!"

"That yellow one looks like he's got something good!" the second figure commented.

"And look at that red hammer the pink girl has! We could sure use that!" the second figure snickered. "Let's get 'em!"

With that, the figures disappeared from the rocks.

"Hmmmmm... Now this is interesting..." Flyer commented, holding out his Holomap. "There appears to be this place that's several miles ahe-"

The next moment, his device suddenly disappeared from his hands.

"Huh? My Holomap's gone!"

"Wait, what?" Berry gawked, and then her eyes suddenly narrowed when she heard something behind her. Whirling around and drawing her hammer, she slammed it down on the figure, which created a pink trail behind her hammer.

One of the figures had exploded into dust, but Chopper was immediately alerted when another figure came his way. Putting his Whipe ability to use, he swung his weapon at the thief, and then he performed a flurry of strikes with it. The mugger had stood no chance and exploded into dust the next moment.

"Thanks for the device!" the remaining thief cackled, making a run forward.

"Great... Thiebers already..." Berry sighed. "Well, we were going this way anyway... So we might as well follow them and get your device back, Flyer."

Chopper was immediately running forward, but to his dismay, he found no sight of the Thieber. However, the rocks around him did appear to have a few things hidden, notably a Star Medal to the left rock and a few Starries to the right. Chopper happily collected these before heading toward the camps.

Most of these camps were mainly small tents, but Chopper found himself being cautious as he was constantly glancing at them. After what happened to Flyer, who knows what could happen next?

A sudden movement of a few figures caught his attention, but that didn't stop Chopper from continuing. He leaped in the air and brought his two feet down. It just so happened that a Thieber was right below him, allowing the hero to bounce off its head and run ahead. The Thiebers were about to go after Flyer and Berry, but the former flew over them, while the latter swung her hammer down to vault over them. Meanwhile, the Thiebers were left with surprised looks.

Once Chopper raced past the camps and sent a few Thiebers flying in the air, he finally reached the mountainous terrain ahead. There appeared to be a narrow path in between the two mountains. A trail of Starries was leading that way anyway.

While the narrow path between the mountains was long, Chopper had no problems going through. In fact, the sand seemed to curve up onto the wall, giving him the chance to run along the rocky walls. And why not? He did spot some Hyper Energy on the right wall, and he easily acquired it. A few Starries were even on the left side, so he leaped across and started running there. To his luck, a Star Medal was there for him to grab.

To his luck, a Spring was up ahead. By taking this, he was launched out of the narrow path and onto a more open pathway in between a few rocky regions. Thanks to a Dash Panel, he was already moving forward.

However, this didn't guarantee their safety. A few Thiebers on some of these tall rocks had pushed a few boulders down, causing them to fall onto the sand and roll to the left and right.

"Maybe I can use a Star Dash to smash them!" Chopper smiled.

"No! Don't waste your time with that!" Silvera cried. "Just dodge them!"

"O-OK!" Chopper swiftly dodged the incoming boulders with a few sharp turns and whatnot. The path had curved a few times, forcing him to drift around. However, he eventually slowed down when the path curved upward. Once he landed on his feet, another campsite was before him.

He could already see the one Thieber with Flyer's Holomap running ahead. With his whip ready, Chopper was about to charge forward, but then several others sped out of their houses and faced him.

By the sheer amount, Chopper found himself gawking. Then the Thiebers charged forward. He managed to strike a few, but one charged into him, knocking a few Starries out of his inventory. The Thieber chuckled greedily as it snatched them.

Just as it was about to leave, a twirling hammer came its way, knocking it to the floor and exploding into dust. Chopper turned around and watched Berry catch the hammer that was coming back to her. Flyer had also showed up, landing beside her.

"More people to steal from? That's fine with us." one of the Thiebers smirked, drawing two curved daggers. "Let's get 'em!"

"I guess we're going to be fighting..." Flyer trailed, drawing his Blast-O. "Well... I hope you guys know what you're doing."

"I'll be fine," Berry assured, giving Chopper a smile. "I didn't think I'd be fighting these guys with you, Choppy."

"Uhhh... Same thing?" Chopper replied in confusion. "Wait... Hey! My name's not Choppy!"

Before one of the Thiebers could steal the Starries lying on the ground, Chopper had used his whip to grab them, then he leaped forward and bounced off one of their heads. While in the air, he swung his whip down at a few more enemies. After stomping on the same Thieber, he did a backflip as he landed a few feet away from them, with a few defeated as a result.

Flyer kept his distance, firing shots ranging from ice, electric, and fire. One, however, managed to strike him quickly, throwing him back. But he decided to put his intellect to work and flew into the air. Not even the Thiebers could reach him, thus allowing him to fire explosives ice shots to freeze them.

Berry went all out on the Thiebers, swinging her hammer with barely any effort. She even spun herself around and struck many that was in her path. Those at a distance were dispatched when she split her Ruby Hammer into two smaller ones and started throwing them.

"Wait... Is that a good idea?" Flyer questioned.

"Don't worry. I've got an infinite supply!" Berry assured, reforming her hammer back to leap forward and bash the last Thieber in their way. "There we go! Man... I never thought using my Ruby Hammer like this would feel so satisfying... Especially when I never got to test it out on them..."

"Well, since the way is clear, you better keep going and follow that thief," Silvera suggested. "That fight was probably just a distraction."

"Yeah... I guess we better keep going." Chopper agreed, charging up a Star Boost. However, his eyes caught sight of a gray Item Star near one of the buildings. He rushed toward it and destroyed it with his whip to claim the Star Energy from the power-up. With that, a Shield surrounded him. "And this should help me too!"

Afterward, the three proceeded ahead. When they ran past the camp, they spotted two pathways to take. To the left, there was a beige rail going over a slope with a sandfall. The right, meanwhile, appeared to be leading to a mountain off in the distance.

Judging by the sight of a figure going that way, the three immediately headed in that direction.

Along the way, they ended up finding a loop that Chopper ran through. He found himself surprised when Berry was able to run through it as well.

"How is she able to do that?" Chopper gawked.

"I guess it's something your kind can do?" Silvera guessed.

"I don't know..."

Nevertheless, the trio ran down a large, sandy hill and saw the mountain a large distance ahead. There was also a large, open space for them that contained some sand traps like quicksand. Floating on the quicksand were a few rectangular-shaped rocks to land on. Luckily, Chopper didn't have to run straight into it when he found the path curve upward, allowing him to land safely on the sand. Apparently there were also some bigger rock structures as well. One to the left had a tall, thin rock structure with one section resembling a hook. The right, meanwhile, had a few taller rock structures leading to the large one with a Dash Ramp. Up ahead was simply more rock platforms to jump across.

Of course, there were still the matter of a few Thiebers to deal with too. Some carried throwing knives that they tossed Chopper's way. These Thieber Rangers forced him to carefully make his way across the platforms. But when he did get close to one of them, he grabbed them with his whip, then he swung backwards to slam it on the ground. The other Thieber Ranger was taken care of when Berry threw her hammer like a boomerang and caught it again.

"Maybe we should go to the left," Chopper suggested. "Well... Maybe I should. I don't know how you guys will get over that sand..."

"I think I can handle it," Berry assured, and Chopper decided to listen and make his way to the left. He timed his jumps carefully, making sure not to fall into the quicksand. Thankfully, his improved jumping skills compared to six years ago were enough to help him reach the hook structure. He fired his whip at it and began to swing to the other side. Once he landed, the rest of his weapon came back to him.

Flyer had no problem getting across, but the two were surprised to see Berry vault over the quicksand after slamming her hammer onto the ground. She landed safely with the others while putting away her hammer.

"See? I'm all fine, Choppy!" Berry smiled. "I'm used to Ava, so don't be concerned about me. ...But I do appreciate it!"

Once that was done and over with, Chopper focused on what was ahead of him. There were a few more rock structures that he had jumped onto, with a few requiring his Long Jump. Another hook structure was near the end of the quicksand, which he used his whip to latch onto and swing up. A Rainbow Ring was a few feet above, so he released his whip from the hook when he swung as high as he could to go through the Rainbow Ring. While performing some tricks to keep himself from dropping too soon, he found some Hyper Energy when he launched through it, then he landed on the sand several feet away from he quicksand and proceeded ahead with the others.

"I hope you two are good at climbing mountains..." Berry noted as they got closer the mountain ahead. "Or else we're never going to catch that Thieber."

"Well... I'll probably just run up it." Chopper noted.

"I don't think that's possible..."

"I can fly, though," Flyer informed.

"Oh... Never mind then." Berry replied sheepishly.

It happened to be a coincidence that a few footholds were on the mountain when they finally reached it. That said, Chopper's running had come to a halt when a Dash Ramp led him to the mountain. A Dash Ring had helped prevent him from crashing into the walls themselves.

Unfortunately for him, some of the footholds were too high for him to reach. There were some that weren't, but for stuff like Star Medals and some Star Blocks, they were at a much higher altitude.

"Let me give you a hand, Chopper," Flyer insisted, grabbing Chopper and flying him up to the upper foothold. He landed there, and then the two looked down where Berry stood. Flyer was about to go get her, but then she started twirling her hammer around like a propeller, and to their surprise, her feet were lifting off the ground. In fact, she was ascending closer to them every second!

By the time she landed, the two were staring with widened eyes.

"OK, let's keep going!" Berry declared, only to notice the look on their faces. "What? ...Oh, yeah, I can use my hammer to fly off the ground for a short time. It's probably not better than flying, though."

"Well, anyway... Let's hurry." Flyer suggested, and the three brought their attention to what was ahead. There were two more footholds, but they were pretty easy to jump over. After collecting a Star Medal, Chopper started jumping from each foothold to collect some white Starries within the Star Blocks. When he was at the peak, he could see the Thieber already on the other side.

"We might have a chance!" Chopper cried, finding a Zip Line beside him. "Let's get that jerk now!"

"Wait... I think that Thieber is..." Berry pondered, only to realize something. "Yeah, we need to chase that thief! Quickly!"

Chopper had grabbed the Zip Line, but when Berry latched on to him by his feet. Despite this, it was enough for the Zip Line to go down to the ground. Meanwhile, Flyer had flown down to meet with them.

Once they were all on the sand, they spotted the Thieber near another campsite ahead. Chopper wasted no time and made a mad dash toward it.

The Thieber found itself panting as it finally made its way to the campsite. Unlike the previous ones, this campsite was at a better quality, having much cleaner buildings. However, it was more focused on the large, orange one that was ahead. Unlike the others, this had a resemblance to a house.

Stepping inside of the building, the main room had some sand on the corners, but one doorway stood before the Thieber. Awaiting it was a large room with plenty of goods that stood out, such as katanas, skiffs, and even laser rifles. Some piles of money were even around as well. The walls were red, while the floor was a dark yellow. Compared to the rest of the building, this fit more for a wealthy person.

Standing in this room was a Thieber with a beige cloak, his hood down, revealing his brown face, pale orange eyes, and pale yellow hair, and finally he wore brown gloves and boots.

"Mastief! I come with something interesting!" the Thieber announced.

"Hmmmm? And what would that be?" Mastief questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"I got this weird device. I'm not sure how it works... But I can bet you that it's worth a lot."

"Let me see," the Thieber leader took the Holomap and began to inspect it. "Hmmmm... I've never seen anything like this... Maybe..."

When his hand was on the blue circle, a hologram suddenly shot out. There, they got a good view of the desert landscape. But Mastief found his eyes widening just from looking at it.

"Whoa... This map isn't anything I've seen before!" Mastief gaped. "Our old maps didn't show this much detail! ...Hold on... What's that thing there past that chasm?"

"That? Oh... I don't think I saw that before..." the Thieber commented.

"Hmmmmm... You know, maybe this thing isn't worth selling."

"What? But... This could be worth a lot!"

"Yeah... But this can also help us find some other goods. And if this map is correct, then we can find a way across that chasm and-"

The moment three figures arrived in the room, the Thieber's eyes widened in shock from the sudden wind that blew in their faces. Mastief, however, remained unfazed.

"Whew... Looks like we finally made it..." Flyer sighed in relief before turning his attention to Mastief. "If you would be so kind... May I have my Holomap?"

"Thieber... You never mentioned that you were being followed..." Mastief said, his eyes facing the Thieber. "Care to give me an explanation?"

"I... I don't know!" the Thieber gasped. "I didn't think they'd be fast enough to get here!"

"Hmph... Well, they are unlike anyone I've seen before. A pale green ball... Some yellow ball with wings on his head, and a pink girl with a scarf and hammer? I've never seen such faces..."

"Well... Same thing." Chopper replied. "We just want Flyer's...whatever that thing is."

"You want _my_ new device?" Mastief scoffed. "Sorry, but once a Thieber gets their hands on something, it's _their_ property now, which means _you're_ trespassing on my property."

"Look, if you give that back to us, then we might not have to hurt you," Berry informed. "As long as you can help us get across the chasm."

"As if I'd ever help you people out. Maybe you should get out of here before I hurt you myself, little girly."

"We're not leaving without that..."

"I see... So be it." Mastief grabbed two curved daggers from his waist and held them pointed away. "I'll make sure to finish you as fast as I am able to steal!"

Before Mastief could charge, Chopper's whip grabbed his leg, then he slammed him onto the floor. He grunted before getting up, then he rushed toward the pale green boy and struck him with one of his daggers, destroying his Shield. Mastief went in for another swing, and as a result, his Whip ability had been knocked away.

"Hey, I might not have my ability on me, but I can still fight!" Chopper declared, sweeping his foot across the floor, which left behind a green trail. His Foot Sweep caught Mastief off guard, allowing Berry to leap forward and bash his head with her Ruby Hammer.

"Urgh..." Mastief grumbled before dodging Berry's next swing. "You don't see people swinging hammers that quickly. Well, I only heard of one... But how are you using that hammer without any problems?"

"That's because I've been trained well with it," Berry replied, splitting her hammer into two and swinging. Mastief held his daggers in front of him to block the hits.

"The only one I know that can use two hammers so well is someone by the name of Kiwi, and he was always such a myster-" the Thieber leader blinked in realization as he looked at Berry. "Wait... You couldn't be Kiwi..."

"My name is Berry, not Kiwi!"

"I see... So the last Scarvana is just some child." Mastief remarked, blocking Berry's next hammer attack. "Then again... I do recall once seeing a little girl with the Scarvanas a few years ago. I didn't think that girl would be you. The only question is... Why did you choose to hide your true self?"

"Because... Well, it's none of your business." Berry replied harshly, only for Mastief to kick her away.

"Oh, it's my business, considering what I know what happened to the rest of the Scarvanas. In fact, many people around here know what happened. It has something to do with that sand dragon, doesn't it?"

"I said it's none of your business!" Berry cried, forming her hammer into one before swinging at Mastief. Before he could land a blow, Chopper managed to stomp on his head and leave him dazed. After quickly shaking his head, he looked at the other Thieber.

"Don't just stand there! Help me!"

The Thieber nodded and jumped into action, only for it to be paralyzed when Flyer fired a spark shot at it. Meanwhile, Chopper and Berry worked together to fight off Mastief. The former had dodged his daggers and knocked him toward the latter with his Slide Kick. With her hammer held like a bat, Berry swung and knocked Mastief onto the ground. He had dropped the Holomap, but Chopper managed to catch it in time before it could hit the ground. Afterward, the antennae boy handed the device back to Flyer.

"Ugh... So... I guess you are more than I thought." Mastief grunted, slowly getting up and putting away his daggers. "I haven't received that much of a beating in so long..."

"So... Can you help us find a way across that chasm?" Berry asked. "After all, your people do go over there..."

"We tried to find a way across... It only led to many of my Thiebers getting injured. Besides, we have no interest in helping anyone but ourselves. However... That map did show me something interesting... I was able to find some sort of trail going across that chasm..."

"A trail? Yeah, I saw one too." Chopper nodded. "There were Starries leading to the other side."

"I don't know what Starries are... But I think I stole something that's related to a star..." Mastief looked over toward his stolen collectibles and picked out a large, pale green Item Star. "One of the Thiebers found this during the night, and they brought it here. They said it came from a star somewhere around here... Personally, I liked it enough to keep it for myself!"

"Wait... An Item Star?"

"No, that's not an Item Star..." Silvera informed, causing Chopper to blink in surprise. "That Star Energy it's emitting doesn't look like it's something temporary. If that's the case... Then that's an Energy Star!"

"Ooh! Let me have it then!"

"What? No!" Mastief objected. "You can't have-"

Chopper immediately charged toward the star. By striking it, it exploded, causing the energy from it to suddenly absorb into his body. For a moment, a green glow surrounded his body as he landed, and the others gawked.

From the crash he made, a small trail of red Starries landed in front of him. When the glow finally faded away, Chopper's eyes blinked once, and he suddenly dashed along the trail at light speed. It didn't even take a full second for the trail of Starries to be gone.

"Wait... What was that?!" Mastief gawked.

"I... I think I got a new ability..." Chopper commented, looking at his gloved hands.

"That was like a dash at light speed!" Flyer exclaimed in awe. "Like... A Light Speed Dash!"

"Oh... Yay!"

 _ **Ability: Light Speed Dash**_

 _ **Travel along a trail of Starries or collectible objects at light speed! To activate this move, stand in front of a trail and dash away! This can increase your speed while on the ground or in the air.**_

"This should help get across that large pit!" Chopper smiled, jumping happily.

"Wait... What the heck just happened?!" Mastief questioned. "What... What are you?"

"I'm Chopper, the hero of my home, Clara! And I can absorb Star Energy!"

"And I'm the same species as him," Berry mentioned.

"I'm...just a Wingel who invents a lot of things," Flyer added.

"Wha...? Then... You people are on a whole different level compared to everyone else on Ava. That explains why I stood no chance... But why are you on this planet?"

"We're getting a Silver Star... And it's probably coming from that dragon thingy." Chopper answered. "So we'll go kick its butt!"

"You're insane..." Mastief muttered. "Fine... If you're so interested in going after that dragon, then go right ahead. The Katanifes might know something about it."

"That's where we're heading," Berry noted. "So... Since we have a way onward, we should go."

"Yes, I insist that we do that," Flyer agreed.

After Chopper nodded, the trio had taken off, leaving Mastief and the Thieber to watch them speed away in shock.

"This has to be the strangest day of my life..." Mastief remarked.

"But those Katanifes..." the Thieber began. "You think they'll be as intimidated by them?"

"I doubt it, especially since their hideout is considered more dangerous than them. But if they do succeed... We might get to actually steal from them! And if they somehow got their hands on that sacred treasure... Oh, man..."

While Mastief began to walk away, he chuckled while rubbing his hands greedily.

* * *

 **So... If you followed my stories way back, you probably remembered Berry. If you weren't too interested in her before, maybe it might be a little different here. She's also a character that went through different designs too.**

 **Also, if you don't like desert areas that much, I understand. I don't like them much either. However, that's why I changed things up a bit for the next three chapters.**


	13. Hideout Break-In

Chapter 13: Hideout Break-In

It hadn't taken long for the three to return to the large chasm. Only now, they at least had some sort of clue on how to get across.

"OK... So you got an ability to dash through Starries?" Silvera asked, flying out of Chopper. She took a look at the chasm before quickly flying down to Chopper. "Well... Thank goodness I'm not you! ...But just to be on the safe side..."

She flew across the chasm with little effort, leaving the others with bewildered looks.

"Wait... What are you doing?!" Chopper cried.

"Making sure I don't end up falling with you," Silvera answered once she was on the other side. "Uhhhh... You go ahead and do what you need to do!"

"Oh... OK..."

"I don't get why she's acting like this toward you," Berry remarked, smiling at Chopper. "I wouldn't mind being near you!"

"I think I'm going to try out my Light Speed Dash..." Chopper trailed, zipping away from Berry and approaching the trail of Starries. "Wait... How are you two going to get across?"

"Oh... I didn't think that far." Flyer realized. "Maybe we can come along on the ride?"

"Let's try it out."

When Flyer and Berry were by Chopper, they grabbed his arm. It wasn't even a second later when Chopper dashed across the chasm and landed on the other side. The former two found themselves in surprise, while Chopper wasn't all that fazed.

"Whoa... That really was light speed..." Flyer commented, he and Berry letting go of Chopper's arms.

"Yeah! I just wish I could do that normally..." Chopper frowned.

"Huh... Well, I guess you got here in one piece." Silvera commented, flying back into Chopper. "Well... I'll let you take it from here."

"You guys should follow me," Berry suggested, moving on ahead. "Although we're heading toward the Katanife Hideout, it's still pretty concealed."

Chopper and Flyer nodded as they followed Berry ahead. Unlike the other section of this desert, there was no trail for them to follow. Plenty of broken architecture was around them as well. In fact, some small, old ruins to the left had some Hyper Energy hidden behind some of the rubble when Chopper checked it out. After grabbing it, he returned to the others to follow.

Unfortunately, this didn't guarantee their safety. A few more Darklings, Tartara Grunts, and even a Wizzam and Slash Knight were there to get in the way. Chopper inhaled the Slash Knight to gain the Sword ability, then he took down the Tartara Grunt in a single hit. Berry had spun her hammer around to take care of the Wizzam and Darklings.

When the enemies were clear, the three forged onward, but their run didn't last long when Berry stopped in front of a large mountain standing in their way.

"Wait... Why are we stopping here?" Flyer asked. "It doesn't look like there's anything of interest here."

"That's exactly what they want you to think," Berry replied, kneeling down to dig out some of the sand. While it was a few inches deep, she was able to find a button. By pressing it, a secret door had suddenly opened. "There. That's the way into the hideout."

"In a mountain?"

"Believe it or not... This isn't actually a mountain. You'll see when we go inside."

Chopper and Flyer nodded before stepping through the doorway, which closed behind them. At first, they saw nothing but darkness, but when they took a couple of steps, they felt no footing beneath them and plummeted.

For Chopper and Flyer, their landings weren't the best, while Berry was able to land on her two feet just fine. The former two slowly got up and rubbed their heads before looking at their surroundings. Brown, rock-like walls surrounded them, with many lanterns lighting up the room.

"Here we are... This is the Kataknife Hideout." Berry stated. "Now... I'm going to warn you guys... While we may have been able to take on those Thiebers... The Kataknifes are on a completely different level. Their hideout is filled with so many traps. So... Don't be reckless."

"Yeah, Chopper," Silvera said.

"Well, we should be able to kick their butts anyway!" Chopper assured. "Those...whoever they are won't be able to stop me!"

"All right, let's get started then," Berry said, being the first to move forward. Already there was a ledge ahead, so she was the first to jump up and reach the top. Chopper was able to use a Triple Jump and grab the ledge. Unlike Berry, he did a flip when pulling himself up, while Flyer simply flew up. "OK... So, my invisibility's not going to work that well here... As you can see with what's up ahead."

Chopper and Flyer gasped when they spotted several lasers at different angles on the path ahead.

"Lasers? I guess those trigger an alarm." Flyer deduced.

"No. They actually hurt you upon touch." Berry corrected. "So... Yeah, don't touch them."

"Then I'll just dodge them," Chopper declared, running ahead. Berry was about to stop him, but when she saw him slide or dodge a few in his way, her concern for him was immediately gone. He was dodging those lasers like they were nothing!

Regardless of that, the other two made their way past the lasers and reached Chopper jumping down to lower ground. Now there were lasers firing down from the short ceiling above. Chopper easily avoided these and dropped down to the lower level. There, he found some platforms to jump across to the other side. As for the lasers, they were now changing angles, whether they were aiming straight down or at a diagonal.

With a combination of some Long Jumps and a few Star Jumps, Chopper managed to avoid the lasers. He barely avoided the last one, but he ended up making it through safely. The others didn't have much of a problem, but one almost hit one of Flyer's wings.

There was another path above, while there was another to the right. Chopper decided to stay on the main path, which had two narrow walls leading up to the ledge. He put his Wall Jump to use and managed to get up easily. Berry had jumped up the narrow walls to reach the ledge, much to Chopper's surprise.

Regardless of how Chopper felt about this, the trio found several Star Blocks that were in the way. Luckily for Chopper, getting past these was no problem. With a Star Dash, he smashed through all of them and came across wider path filled with more Star Blocks. However, there were a few that had a symbol of a timer with a fuse. There was one nearby, and out of curiosity, Chopper touched it, causing it to blink red.

"Uh oh... That block's been triggered!" Berry gasped, pulling Chopper away before it blinked enough times for it to explode.

"That was close..." Chopper sighed in relief.

"Well... I guess we might as well call them Trigger Blocks if they're activated upon touch." Flyer stated. "So... Don't touch them, OK?"

Chopper gave him a nod before moving on. He used another Star Dash to plow through a couple of more Star Blocks and avoided another Trigger Block nearby. Once he passed those, a Pulley awaited him ahead on the wall. He used that to pull himself up to a small area with a door ahead.

But before he could make another step, a shuriken suddenly came his way. Luckily for him, Chopper managed to block it with his sword.

"Hey! I know you're out there!" Chopper cried.

Chopper found himself wincing the next moment something passed by and struck him. His Sword ability had been knocked away, while a few figures appeared in front of the door ahead just as Flyer and Berry reached him. One had gray skin, while another had beige, and the next had brown. All of them had yellow eyes, and they were garbed in a red ninja outfit, which included a hood and mask, an orange sash, white pants, and gray gloves and boots. On their backs were katanas in a sheath, while on their waists were several shurikens and knives.

"That was a warning attack," the ninja stated. "Leave now, or fall to the Kataknifes."

"Not without my grandpa's scarf!" Berry retorted, her hammer already drawn.

"Grandpa's scarf?" one Kataknife raised its eyebrow, but the second placed a hand on its shoulder.

"Never mind that. These intruders do not wish to leave... So let's do what must be done."

The first Kataknife nodded before throwing several knives their way. Chopper opened his mouth and inhaled them, then he spat them out as a large star their way. They were thrown against the wall and became nothing but dust.

"Take that!" Chopper declared, raising a fist proudly.

"Well, they're going to be a lot angrier once we breach through this door..." Berry trailed, tightening her grip on her hammer. "But it's worth it to get my grandpa's scarf back!"

With a Star Dash, Chopper plowed through the door, but he had to stop himself the moment he got a look at what was behind the door. Almost nothing looked like it belonged inside of a mountain. The floors were mainly made up of wood, and all around them were plenty of trees filled with cherry blossoms. Even the buildings around them had this oriental vibe to them. There were even some tall torches lit up, along with large, red curtains with a symbol of a katana and knife crossing each other.

"Wow..." Chopper gawked, only to be interrupted by a Kataknife coming his way. Thankfully, Berry was there to take it out with one hammer swing. "Whew... That was close..."

"You shouldn't waste any time getting a look at this place," Berry advised. "It may look interesting... But a distraction leaves you out in the open."

Chopper gave her a determined nod before the trio hurried ahead. There appeared to be a building up ahead with an open door. The antennae hero raced into the building, only to be launched up by a Wide Spring.

The first thing Chopper noticed was the narrow hallway leading up to a high ledge. Getting through that looked easy, but the ledge itself was a problem. However, he took notice of a gray block a few feet away from the high ledge.

Once he ran up to the block, he tried pushing it. Unfortunately, he couldn't do much to move it further, only making it move about several inches.

"Ummmmm... How am I going to move this box thing?" Chopper wondered.

"You may not be able to push it normally, but I think you could find other ways to move it," Flyer informed.

"Oh... Uhhhh... Oh!" Chopper jumped a few inches off the ground, and with a kick, he managed to sent it forward to the wall. This made it much easier for him to jump on the block and then reach the high ledge. "I did it! Now we can keep moving!"

When Chopper forged onward, he was immediately caught off guard by the square-shaped room, along with the second floor above. A few Kataknifes were here, and the moment they spotted him, they got into a fighting stance and charged toward him. Luckily, all he had to do was inhale one of them and spit them out.

Once they were out of the way, Chopper's attention was drawn to some small poles sticking out of the floor. They seemed to get taller upon going up to the second floor. While Chopper himself was gawking, Berry stepped in and began to jump on the tip of each one until going up to the top.

"How did you do that?" Flyer asked.

"Scarvanas can do this kind of thing," Berry noted. "Well, all kinds of desert ninjas on Ava can do this."

"I wish I was a ninja..." Chopper frowned. "Then I could probably do that."

"I don't think you'd be able to do it as good as I can..."

"Well, technically..." Flyer began, only to notice Chopper making his way up to the second floor by climbing up each pole and leaping to the next. He eventually landed by Berry, then Flyer flew up to the two in order to land. "Question... Do you have an idea who might have your grandfather's scarf?"

"Uhhhh..." Berry gave the Wingel a puzzled look. "...No?"

"So you didn't come up with any plan?"

"To be honest, I don't think I've even thought this far... I don't normally come here..."

"Well, I think we'll find it. We just need to keep moving!" Chopper declared, going forward.

"Of course that's what you'd say..." Silvera deadpanned, though Chopper didn't seem to be paying much attention to her voice.

Apparently the small hallway had led to the roof of the building. Before him was a slope going down further across the rooftop. Also in front of him was a large barrel that was lying on its side. Then he took a look at the Kataknifes on the rooftop.

Out of curiosity, Chopper jumped on the barrel, causing it to roll down the slope. He yelped as he moved his feet backwards to keep himself on, all the while making the barrel move forward. The Kataknifes had noticed his arrival, but not even they had a chance to react when they were plowed down.

At the end of the rooftop was a ramp that Chopper launched off with the barrel to land on the ground. There, he continued to bring down some Kataknifes, a Wizzam, Major Dice, and Lasher that was in the way.

But when Chopper found another high ledge ahead, his eyes widened as he jumped off the barrel, letting it smash into pieces. As he landed, Flyer and Berry had finally reached him. Thankfully, there were a few smaller platforms that were going up to that ledge, so Chopper had no issues getting up there.

When Chopper took a small path ahead, he found two paths to take on his left and right. To the left, he could see a slope going down to an orange rail, while to the right were plenty of trees and some small ponds.

"Let's go to the right," Berry suggested. "It looks a lot nicer!"

"OK," Chopper shrugged, going over to the right. Sure, the place was nice to look at, but a few Kataknifes were more prominent here, whether they were training via dummies or exchanging attacks between each other. But the moment they spotted the three, they bolted their way. Thankfully, Chopper's Star Spin was able to take them out.

A small staircase going down stood before Chopper and Co., but with the rail sticking out, Chopper decided to hitch a ride on it. Surprisingly, Berry ended up doing the same.

" _Well, I think Flyer can do that to..."_ Chopper thought as he leaped off the rail and landed in an open area. Three separate ways were before him, with the left sporting a few structures in the shape of a spire. The one ahead seemed to go through another building, while to the right was another barrel near a path along a pond.

For now, Chopper took the right path and hitched a ride on the barrel along the path beside the pond. Along the way, he collected some Starries on the path. He also noticed a few small bamboo sticking out of the water, but he didn't pay too much attention to it. Well, until a Kataknife leaped out and knocked him off the barrel, which began to roll away.

Before it could make another move, it was suddenly frozen solid by Flyer's Blast-O. When Chopper got up, he kicked the frozen Kataknife away before giving Flyer a thumbs up.

After running off a curved portion of the path, another pond had appeared, only this time it was in front of him. A few platforms stuck out of the water, with one of them having a blue Item Star. Chopper jumped on it, and after absorbing its power, gained the Water Shield.

Using the shield's ability, Chopper bounced upward via his Super Stomp. This let him easily go to one of the platforms. Add his Star Jump, and precision platforming was super easy. However, his attention was also drawn toward a stream the pond was going toward. Something glowing happened to be there...

Chopper leaped off the platform and swam over to the stream. As he thought, a Hyper Energy was there for him to collect. Afterward, he went back onto the platforms and made his way across.

"That's five Hyper Energy from this world so far," Silvera said. "And if you got six on Clara, then there's likely one more here too."

Chopper nodded as he passed the pond. Once the other two reached him, they progressed onward, going past a few trees and eventually making a sharp turn to the right. They launched off a Dash Ramp and went through a Rainbow Ring. Chopper remained in the air thanks to a few tricks he pulled off, and this helped him land on a completely different pathway over the main one past the building.

Once they were grinding along a rail and got on the path, they found a high wall with one section being more narrow. A few Kataknifes were prominent here, but one enemy looked a little different. Sure, it had an indigo ninja mask and a gold headband, but it also had orange skin, blue eyes, and small, white hands and feet. This Shurija immediately threw a shuriken their way, but Chopper ducked underneath it.

And idea popped in Chopper's mind as he performed a Star Dash and inhaled the Shurija. When he came to a stop, Flyer, Berry, and the Kataknifes gawked as Chopper gained a purple hood on his head with a yellow headband with a silver plate on it, which contained an imprinted star outline. On his back was a sheath where a katana was stored.

"Wait... What?" one Kataknife spoke. "He's...a ninja?"

 _ **Copy Ability: Ninja**_

 _ **It's time to be sneaky and hide into the shadows! Throw endless kunai knives, or get close up with your katana! You can even perform a stronger katana swing called the Multi Slash after a Ninja Slash! Or give your foes a surprise with your Blossom Storm technique! You won't even slide down walls when using a Wall Jump, and it's much faster to boot!**_

"A ninja? Cool!" Chopper smiled, feeling the top of his head, only to become confused after feeling it a few times. "Wait... I feel like I'm wearing something different... It doesn't feel like a helmet!"

"That's because you are wearing something different," Flyer noted. "Admittedly... I like it a lot more than your other ninja hat!"

"Really? Thanks!"

"Not interrupt the moment... But don't you have enemies to fight?" Silvera mentioned, and Chopper's attention was quickly drawn toward the two Kataknifes charging at him. The moment they struck, he suddenly vanished from their sights. They looked around for him, but then an explosion suddenly struck them when Chopper suddenly reappeared via his Hide Guard.

While they were stunned, Chopper raced past them while swinging his katana using his Stealth Slash. The two Kataknifes exploded once Chopper sheathed his katana.

With them out of the way, Chopper's attention was drawn over to the narrow walls. He approached it and started using his Wall Jump to get up to the top. Thanks to being able to cling onto a wall as long as he wanted and his increased speed in jumping to another wall, getting to the top was a snap. Not even Flyer and Berry had problems getting up either.

Via a Dash Panel, Chopper pressed forward and reached the point where the branching paths met. Not too far ahead was the end of the area through a doorway. Chopper wasted no time in making his way over there, all the while jumping up a few small ledges. There was a large Kataknife near one of the ledges in orange. It held a large katana in its hand that had a lot of range. Chopper found himself dashing backwards in the air to avoid its attack.

"Those are Great Kataknifes," Berry informed. "They're much tougher than regular ones... Though, Elite Kataknifes are a bit of a threat too..."

"Well they'll go down the same way as the other," Chopper smiled, dodging one of the Great Kataknife's shurikens. He retaliated with his own kunais that he threw much faster. While they struck the enemy, it didn't seem to make it flinch. So, he leaped above, and diving from a diagonal, he struck it with a Ninja Kick. When on the ground, he swung his katana to perform his Ninja Slash, which created a blue energy wave upon the second strike. While the Great Kataknife was stunned, he put his katana in his sheath and charged up another attack. The moment his sheath was glowing blue, he swung his katana and created many slash waves around him via his Multi Slash. The Great Kataknife was instantly taken out and exploded into dust.

"OK... I don't know how you can do all of these weird things..." Berry gawked. "But maybe we should save that for later when we're not in any place like this."

After sheathing his katana, Chopper entered through the doorway ahead, only to stop at a dead end ahead. He looked around to see if there were any other routes to take, but then he looked up and saw a ladder a few feet above the ground going up to a foothold. Smiling, Chopper jumped up to the ladder, grabbed it, and started his climb up. A few Kataknifes were on some of these platforms, but thanks to a rainbow Item Star that was on the platform he reached, Chopper was able to absorb its energy and become invincible.

"Yay! I'm invincible!" Chopper cheered, using a Wall Jump to leap over to the platform behind him. The Kataknife there tried hitting him with one of its shurikens, but it disintegrated upon touch. The moment Chopper touched the enemy, it was already wiped out.

Once he was reeled up by a Pulley, Chopper landed on a larger platform. There were a few Kataknifes that charged at him, but they were simply knocked back when their weapons made contact with him.

"OK... This is just weird..." Silvera remarked. "In fact, your kind are a lot weirder than I thought with the energy you can absorb..."

"Ahem..." Berry spoke up, but then something else made her blink. "Wait... If Choppy can absorb Star Energy... Could I do it?"

"That's...a good question," Flyer replied, following Chopper over to a few small spires near the left. There was a Star Medal that Chopper claimed by jumping from each tip, leaving Berry with widened eyes.

After landing back on the path, Chopper charged up a Star Boost and pushed forward. A Great Kataknife had tried to attack him, but with a Star Dash, he had wiped out the enemy with ease. The moment he touched a Dash Panel and ran up the curved path, his invincibility wore off.

Upon landing, Chopper spotted another barrel before a slope. Since the area he was in was a little caved in, it was rather difficult to jump on. So instead, he gave it a push, and it started rolling down. He spotted several Kataknifes getting sent flying in the air before exploding into dust.

And that was when Chopper got a ginormous view of the rest of the hideout before him. It stretched out pretty long, with plenty of more buildings and Kataknifes training. But that was not what grabbed his attention the most.

There was a literal sky to this hideout, and it revealed a large view of the sandy landscape.

"Whoa... This place looks so cool!" Chopper gaped, taking a step forward. At that moment, alarms suddenly went off all over the place. "Uh oh..."

"You messed up again, Chopper..." Silvera sighed.

"Oh, crud... This isn't good." Berry gulped.

"Wait, didn't you know about the alarms here, Berry?" Flyer asked.

"I don't know the whole layout to this place... It's why I needed you two to help me in case of something like this happened."

"Well... I can take these jerks!" Chopper assured, charging up another Star Boost. "They don't scare me!"

Once he was off, Chopper had run full speed down the slope. Up ahead were three loops, which appeared to lead toward different directions due to the way they were formed. Chopper had chosen to take the left loop, which led him over to a Dash Ramp, along with a Starries leading up to a Dash Ring above. He used his Light Speed Dash to go along the Starries and through the Dash Ring to land on top of one of the buildings where a Star Medal awaited him.

However, the moment he landed, Kataknifes in yellow ninja gear had jumped on the roofs. Their gloves and boots resembled that of armor, and in their hands were two katanas.

"We Elite Kataknifes do not tolerate intruders," one of the Elite Kataknifes stated, rushing toward Chopper. When one got close, he managed to grab it, and then he leaped high in the air. When falling, he and the Elite Kataknife faced toward the ground upon impact. While Chopper was completely unharmed by his Air Drop, the enemy had exploded into dust. Said explosion hit one of the others, taking it out as well.

Two other Elite Kataknifes jumped in to attack, destroying Chopper's Water Shield. Before they could land another hit, Berry threw her hammer at them, then caught it when it spun back toward her.

While running on the streets wasn't a bad idea, it was filled with many Kataknifes throwing shurikens their way. And sure, jumping from each roof was risky, but Chopper didn't see as many enemies prominent.

Using his Long Jumps and Triple Jumps, Chopper was able to leap from building to building. One of the roofs was shaped like a triangle, which allowed him to grind across and leap off onto a bridge going over a small river.

While running across the bridge, Kataknifes riding on what appeared to be hovering bikes. These Kataknife Bikers pressed a button on one of the handles and fired a red laser near Chopper. Sensing the attack, he jumped over the laser and started throwing kunais at the Hoverbike. A few kunais was enough to make the vehicle crash and explode.

A few other Kataknife Bikers flew to Chopper's side, but Flyer and Berry backed him up with their own ranged attacks. The bikers were instantly beaten within seconds.

Near the end of the bridge was a Zip Line over to the right. Chopper grabbed onto it to hitch a ride and was taken over to a taller building ahead. There, he found another Star Medal, along with a Trick Ramp. Launching off it, he performed a few tricks to keep him airborne, allowing him to go past the rest of the buildings.

Upon landing, Chopper spotted a doorway up ahead. Nearby were two Great Kataknifes and two Elite Kataknifes. He was about to attack, but one of the Elite Kataknifes struck him, knocking the hero back. Before it could go in for another attack, Berry jumped in and slammed her hammer on its head.

"None shall go forward," the first Great Kataknife warned. "Master Ninjaster does not want the likes of you to be here."

"Ninjaster? Well thanks for telling me who's the boss." Berry smirked, leaping forward to bring her hammer down. While she did hit the Great Kataknife, one of the elites managed to kick her back toward Flyer. The Wingel drew his weapon and open fired, stopping the Elite Kataknife.

But once Chopper got up, he raised his arm, and while leaping, a pink fan materialized in his hand. Upon swinging downward, cherry blossoms appeared around him, damaging the rest of the Kataknifes around him. Berry spun herself around and struck them all while they were weakened with a hammer swing.

With them cleared out of the way, the trio headed through the doorway. This had taken them to a narrow path leading to a large arena-like area. Near Chopper was some food to eat, along with a Copy Essence of Cutter, Stone, and Ninja. Diamond's Copy Essence was a bluish green and had an image of diamonds on it. Ninja's, meanwhile, was purple and had a ninja star.

However, he had no reason to use any of those, so he proceeded forward and into the arena-like section of the area. He, Flyer, and Berry were instantly caught off guard by the large number of Kataknifes that were surrounding them with their weapons drawn.

"Oh, crud..." Silvera gulped, flying out of Chopper. "Uhhhh... Hey, guys..."

Every one of the Kataknifes' eyes narrowed angrily as they drew closer toward the four.

"Wait."

The sound of the stern voice caused every Kataknife in the area to swiftly put away their weapons and step away. The heroes gawked, but then their attention was drawn toward a light brown Kataknife in golden ninja gear ahead. Unlike the regular or elites, he was equipped with a cloak hanging from the left side of his body, and around his neck was a yellow scarf.

"So... You must be Ninjaster..." Silvera spoke first.

"Correct," Ninjaster nodded, stepping closer toward the group. "And what gives you the right to come into our hideout?"

"Ummmmm..." Chopper began, but he stopped once Berry stepped forward.

"We've come to retrieve something from your hideout," Berry stated.

"Ah, so you've come to steal from me... Too bad for you, because you're already caught." Ninjaster chuckled. "But I must admit... I don't think there's ever been an intruder that's made it this far. You're no Saninja or Bandorm, and you're certainly not a Thieber... No, they wouldn't have even gotten close. Yet... You, girl... You've got an outfit that's more fit for a desert ninja. Who are you?"

"I'm... I'm Berry... I'm a Scarvana."

Every Kataknife either stared with widened eyes or guffawed, but Ninjaster raised an arm to silence them.

"A Scarvana, you say? That's ridiculous. We can only think of one Scarvana that exists, and his name is Kiwi."

"I am Kiwi... Well, that's my disguise..." Berry trailed.

"Is that so?" Ninjaster got a better look at Berry. "Hmph... You know, now that I get a better look at you, you do look like a Scarvana I saw four years ago. But why would you come here of all places?"

"You... You have my grandpa's scarf."

"Your grandpa? ...You mean Almond?" the Kataknife Master placed his hand on the scarf. "Well, I do have your grandfather's scarf... But I'm not going to just give it to you after invading our hideout. Then again, why would I give it to you in the first place? You may be a Scarvana, but you don't deserve such a thing as this!"

"But that's ridiculous!" Flyer exclaimed. "Of course she deserves her grandfathers' scarf!"

"Oh... So I guess she didn't tell you what happened?" Ninjaster chuckled, and Berry started shaking nervously. "That she was the reason why Almond and the rest of the Scarvanas were wiped out?"

Chopper and Flyer looked at Berry in surprise, who was slowly losing her confidence by the second.

"N-No... I..."

"We all know about it, Scarvana. All of us were there when we saw you and the rest of the Scarvanas fighting that sacred sand dragon, Saderta! You thought you could help them out... But that only led to their demise...especially your grandfather's!"

"Wait... So was that why you were so worried?" Chopper asked.

"Y-Yes..." Berry sniffled, looking down at the floor.

"You know, maybe I should thank you... Now that the Scarvanas are out of the way, we don't have to worry about them anymore!"

"Hey, we came for that scarf, and we're going to get it from you, even if we have to fight!" Chopper declared, getting into a fighting stance.

"Hmph... Fine then..." Ninjaster trailed, removing his cloak. "It's very rare for me to take on intruders myself... So consider this an honor from yours truly!"

"Then let's do this!" the hero declared, while Silvera had flown back into Chopper.

Wasting no time, Ninjaster made a dash forward.

 _ **Mid-boss: Kataknife Master, Ninjaster**_

 _ **Being currently the greatest Kataknife, Ninjaster is no slouch. His variety of different ninja-based moves can bring any type of clan from Ava on their knees. Watch out for his dual katanas!**_

Ninjaster had drawn one of his katanas and made a quick swing at Chopper. What he wasn't expecting, however, was for him to duck underneath it like a pancake. The next thing he knew, he was knocked back by Chopper's Foot Sweep.

While skidding back, Ninjaster drew several shurikens and threw them Chopper's way. He countered this with his own kunais, causing them to clash and create many metallic clang sounds.

One kunai had managed to go past the rest and reach Ninjaster. Noticing it, a puff of smoke appeared. Chopper and the others found themselves surprised when a log took Ninjaster's place once the smoke cleared.

"Huh?" Chopper gawked. "Where'd he-"

A kick from behind managed to throw Chopper on the ground in a daze. Ninjaster had landed right behind him and raised his katana. He was about to attack, but a projectile struck his back, making him bring his attention toward Flyer.

The Wingel gasped when he saw several shurikens coming his way. He was able to dodge them barely, with a few being a few inches close to his wings. Ninjaster would've made another move, had Chopper not struck him with his Ninja Kick.

The moment Ninjaster turned around, Chopper unleashed his Blossom Storm upon him. Even the Kataknifes watching were surprised when both the fan and blossoms made their leader cringe in pain.

"Gah... Impressive..." Ninjaster panted. "I don't know how you've managed to pull off some impressive ninja skills... But you haven't seen the kind of things I can do!"

Ninjaster drew another katana and began to swing them quickly Chopper's way. He took out his own katana to try to block the hits, but after a few parries, Ninjaster was able to knock his blade a few feet behind him. Next thing he knew, he was thrown back by the Kataknife leader's swings.

"Ow..." Chopper mumbled as he got up. After grabbing his katana, he looked over at Berry, whose legs were shaking, and her hands were over her mouth. "Huh? Berry? What's wrong? Don't you want to help?"

"I... I don't know..." Berry trailed nervously.

"It's funny how you're just a coward without that disguise," Ninjaster chuckled. "You know, we were admittedly worried about dealing with Kiwi... But now that we know of your true colors... We can't take you seriously anymore! In fact, maybe I might be willing to just let you leave. There's no point in dealing with someone as cowardly as yourself."

"Berry, don't listen to him!" Flyer exclaimed, firing a few shots at Ninjaster, only for him to go up to him and knock him onto the floor.

"If you really value your life, Scarvana, then you'd abandon your worthless friends and leave. You'll just get in the way in the same manner as four years ago."

Berry's eyes widened when Ninjaster began spinning his blades around like a tornado and started to attack both Chopper and Flyer. Despite the former putting up his guard, it wasn't enough to stop him from being knocked back. Ninjaster then dove toward him, his blades aimed directly at the boy.

That was, until something suddenly knocked him onto the ground.

Grumbling, Ninjaster quickly shook his head and looked ahead. Standing in between him and Chopper was Berry, only now the look on her face was drastically different.

"I'm not going to let you hurt my friends," Berry growled, gripping her hammer with two hands. "And they're not worthless..."

"You..." Ninjaster hissed, drawing several shurikens. "I gave you a chance, and you blew it! Now you're going down!"

Berry spun her hammer around and blocked all of the shurikens. While they were falling, she sent them flying back in the manner of baseball. Ninjaster managed to dodge them and get up close, and with his katanas, he started swinging. Berry split her own hammers into two and started blocking and attacking.

"Well... You're definitely impressive with that hammer..." Ninjaster remarked. "But that won't help you out!"

"Believe me, you don't know what I am capable of as myself," Berry replied, swinging again.

"Neither do you," Ninjaster countered, her hammer making contact with him. This time, a puff of smoke appeared around him, and when it cleared, a log took the leader's place. However, Berry remained calm and suddenly vanished as well. The moment Ninjaster went in for a kick, he was caught off balance.

Then a puff of smoke appeared, and a hammer struck his head from the side. The Kataknifes watched with shocked looks as he was sent crashing into the wall ahead.

When Ninjaster jumped out of the damaged wall, he narrowed his eyes angrily at Berry before kicking her. He began to spin his blades around while coming her way. After forming her hammers back into one, Berry did the same thing, causing the two to be thrown back.

However, Ninjaster was the first to get up, and he wasted no time in reaching Berry. Before she could defend herself, he started swinging rapidly at her, only to be stopped when Chopper stomped on his head.

"Hey! I'm still here, you know!" Chopper exclaimed, grabbing him from behind and using his Air Drop to leave him in a daze. "Get him, Berry!"

"Yeah," Berry nodded confidently, landing a few hits on Ninjaster. Her last hit involved her twirling her hammer vertically before leaped in the air and swinging her hammer downward. "Take this!"

With one hammer swing, Ninjaster had been nailed down and left in a daze. All of the Kataknifes could only watch with widened eyes at their defeated leader.

"Ooh..." one Kataknife cringed.

As Ninjaster slowly pushed himself out of the ground, he started panting. "Guh... All right... I guess I'm no match for you. But no matter how much you beat me... I'll never give you back Almond's scarf!"

"That's OK," Berry assured, putting her hammer away and taking out a yellow scarf. "I've already got it."

"Huh?" Ninjaster placed his hand where his scarf originally was and noticed it missing. "Wha... How did you...?"

"Remember when I turned invisible?"

"Curse you... I won't forgive you for this..." Ninjaster hissed. "Kataknifes!"

Every Kataknife in the area drew their weapons and approached the trio, forcing them into a fighting stance.

"Hey... You can fight us...but I don't think you'd win." Chopper noted. "Because I've taken on things tougher than you... And that dragon won't be any different."

The Kataknifes stopped in place upon hearing that, and they all exchanged confused looks. Even Ninjaster was surprised by this comment.

"Wait... You mean you intend to go after Saderta?"

"That's right! That thing's got something we need!"

"Yeah, he's right," Silvera agreed, flying out of Chopper. "That dragon has one of the Silver Stars. It probably explains why he's awoken."

"Hmmmmmmm... Kataknifes, lower your weapons." Ninjaster demanded, and every one of his minions sheathed their weapons. "Look, I don't care what Saderta has... But you really want to go after that monster? That's...actually the funniest thing I've heard in months!"

When Ninjaster started chuckling, the rest of the Kataknifes followed. However, Chopper still kept a serious look.

"Well... I've beaten a demon a few times before!" Chopper countered. "And I even beat up a dragon on Clara too! So tell us where we can find him before I really kick your butt!"

Ninjaster then chuckled at the glare Chopper gave him as he crossed his arms. "Well... I suppose there's nothing wrong with showing you the way... After all, our hideout is not too far from the way to get to Saderta's Lair..."

"Well, where is the lair?" Silvera asked.

"Sky Sands. You'll find its lair there. How do you get there? It's easily accessible via the tallest mountain here. You will know which mountain it is when you see it."

"Thank you... I guess we'll be going then."

"Yeah, you better go. Take the exit out behind me, you'll spot the mountain easily."

Once Silvera flew back into Chopper, the three headed through the hole in the wall. As they finally left, Ninjaster narrowed his eyes as he put away his two katanas. He especially noticed the uncertain look on Berry's face before she was out of his sight.

" _And if Saderta doesn't take you down... I can assure you we'll come back for you, Scarvana... You and the rest of your friends haven't seen the last of the Kataknifes!"_

* * *

 **This chapter... I remember this one taking forever to do. Writers block along with losing interest in writing fanfiction can leave you stuck on a chapter for four weeks. Thankfully, that wasn't the case for the next four chapters.**


	14. Sand Over the Sky

Chapter 14: Sand Over the Sky

The sun shined down on their faces as the three stepped out of a hidden stairway from the fake mountain. They were all surprised to see that they were in the same area as when they first entered Kataknife Hideout. Only this time, they were in a more open area of the desert field despite the many mountains around.

And it just so happened to be a mere coincidence that they could already see a mountain taller than the rest dead ahead.

"Yeah... I can feel some familiar energy coming from there." Silvera said, flying out of Chopper to get a better look. "But boy... That's a pretty tall mountain. How are we supposed to get up there?"

"I think there should be a way..." Flyer pondered. "Maybe we'll find out when we're closer."

"Yeah! Maybe Berry can help us!" Chopper said, turning to Berry. However, his cheerful look became that of surprise when he noticed the nervous look on her face. "Berry? Are you OK?"

"I'm fine..." Berry assured.

"But... You looked scared for a moment. ...Hold on, was what that ninja said before true?"

"...Yes," the pink girl sighed in defeat and lowered her head. "I'm...the reason why my grandpa and the rest of the Scarvanas are gone. I wasn't supposed to intervene...yet I thought I could help them stop Saderta..."

"Why were you going after the dragon in the first place?" Silvera questioned.

"Saderta has this incredible treasure. My grandpa said it was unlike anything else on Ava. So... We all made our way there...but Saderta had already spotted us before we could get to the mountain... I thought I could take him on, even when I was told to stay back. Unfortunately, things didn't work out, and my grandpa went out of his way to save me... Sure, I was safe, but our strategy was ruined, and Saderta... Well, he had an easy time taking everyone out..."

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Flyer said sympathetically.

"And even though I promised to help you find the Silver Star..." Berry looked up at Chopper with tears in her eyes and grabbed his arms. "I don't want you going there! There's no way I want to lose more people I care about!"

"But... We need to go there..." Chopper trailed.

"I know... But... Saderta is dangerous! I may have improved my skills, but there's no way I could fight him on my own!"

"Well... You're not fighting that thing alone. Flyer, Silvera, and I are here! And I don't care if this monster hurt a lot of people! If I can take on a lot of other dangerous bad guys...then that dragon should be no problem! Besides... Maybe you might have a chance."

"You really believe that?" Berry asked.

"I...think so..."

Just hearing that made Berry smile and blush as she placed two of her hands on one of Chopper's. "Thanks... At least you're there for me, Choppy..."

For Chopper, he was looking confused at the look she gave him, along with her hands on his. One thing for certain, his hand was shaking from the sudden drop of comfort level. Flyer noticed his nervous look and approached them.

"Perhaps we should get going?" Flyer suggested.

"Yeah, you're right," Berry nodded, letting go of Chopper's hand, who was left bewildered. "Let's...just try to be careful, OK?"

"Uhhhh... That's probably going to fly over Chopper's head..." Silvera trailed, flying back into Chopper.

After adjusting the cuffs on his gloves, Chopper started moving forward. Along the way toward the mountain, there were a few small sand tornadoes moving around. Some were particularly near tall, rock-like structures. By getting caught on one of these, Chopper found himself being spun around. However, with his Star Spin, he was able to whirl around rapidly and get sent flying upward. This especially helped reach the top structure, where a small hole led into a tiny cave-like room.

There wasn't all that much in this small cave, but some small grass revealed some red Starries hidden. A Star Medal was right in the open for Chopper to collect before he stepped over to the ray of light shining down from the hole. A Spring was there for him to launch out and land back on the sand.

"I found a Star Medal!" Chopper smiled, showing off the Star Medal before putting it away. "Anyway... Let's move on!"

The trio continued forward, clearing out any Darklings or Tartaras that got in their way. All Chopper had to do was use his Stealth Slash, and they were history, and it helped that he was able to keep running after doing so.

However, his run had come to a sudden halt when several starships had flown past him from above.

"Huh? What was that?" Chopper questioned, looking up at the ships. They appeared to be gray, but that was all he could see from that distance.

"Ships?" Flyer gawked. "Do you have any idea what those are, Berry?"

"No... Not at all." Berry replied, shaking her head. "But... They look like they're going straight for that mountain!"

"Hopefully they're friendly..." Chopper pondered before proceeding forward.

When the trio had finally reached the base of the mountain, they found a few footholds sticking out. Chopper tried to run up instead, but the slope was way too high for him, even with a Star Dash or Star Boost, and in the end, he ended up tumbling down.

"Sorry, Chopper, but I don't think running is an option here..." Flyer said, flying up to the closest foothold above. "But they don't appear to be too high for you to jump up."

"I guess so," Chopper replied, jumping up to the closest foothold above him with a Side Somersault. He managed to grab the ledge and pull himself up. Next, Berry reached them by using his hammer as a propeller. After landing, they found two narrow walls leading up to the next foothold. Chopper had no problem getting up there with his Wall Jump, and upon landing, two Tartara Grunts were there to greet him.

However, they were no match for Chopper when he drew his katana and wiped the first out with a Ninja Slash. The blue wave from his swing also struck the other, destroying it as well.

After sheathing his katana, Chopper found the next foothold a few feet above to the left. So, he used his Long Jump to get closer, and for some extra height, used his Star Jump. This was enough to help him grab the ledge and pull himself up.

Lucky for him, there was a path curving up on the mountain, and it didn't look like it was going up too far. A Star Boost looked like it would be enough, so Chopper started running in place before taking off. Not only did he manage to reach a foothold higher up, but he landed right by a circle of red Starries. There was even a trail leading to a foothold too far for him to reach.

"This is pretty easy," Chopper commented, taking the Starries before using his Light Speed Dash to reach the next foothold. Awaiting him there was a Spring that looked like it was launching higher up. "Oh... I guess I don't have to do that much climbing now. Maybe I should wait for the others?"

Thankfully, all it took was around a minute for Flyer and Berry to reach him. When they took a look at the Spring, the latter was the one to approach it first.

"A Spring?" Berry looked up, noticing no other footholds to go up. "Well... I guess this is just a little shortcut. Pretty convenient for us!"

"Yeah, I keep noticing how there are always these objects that we can use to transverse around easily," Flyer remarked. "But maybe it's best not to question that."

Chopper jumped on the Spring, and he was instantly launched high up.

After flying through a few small clouds, Chopper finally made his landing on the peak. What he wasn't expecting, however, was the peak to be massive. After all, there were slopes, loops, and even some rocks to smash through. But off in the distance, he could spot floating sand islands in the sky.

As the other two landed, they had gotten a look at the place as well and spotted the floating sand as well.

"Well, looks like Sky Sands is not as close as we thought..." Flyer commented. "But I guess that's what happens when we find a shortcut up here."

"That's OK. I might have some fun here!" Chopper smiled, taking a few steps forward. Before he could go down the slope, two figures had walked up the incline, making Chopper recoil. The figures were in white masks, a red uniform with a black X, and goggles with a yellow trim.

"Whoa! Who the heck are you guys?" the first figure asked.

"We should be asking the same thing," Berry added.

"People may not know of us X-Nauts now, but once we get our hands on the Silver Star here, the multiverse will be under our control!" the second X-Naut chuckled, only to be smacked in the head.

"You idiot! Don't tell them what we're after!" the first X-Naut yelled.

"Wait, what?!" Silvera gasped, flying out of Chopper. "You're after the Silver Stars?!"

"Hey... Those chumps have a Silver Star!"

"...Crud," Silvera chirped before going back into Chopper. Now the X-Nauts were approaching Chopper, who gave them a glare.

"Aw, man! We seriously hit the jackpot!" the first X-Naut chortled. "Not only is there a Silver Star here, but this kid has one too!"

"But dude... Didn't Lord Crump tell us to let him know about a Silver Star?" the second X-Naut asked.

"You idiot! Use your brain! If we steal that Silver Star from this kid, then we'll get all the credit, man! Duhhh!"

"Oh, yeah..." the second X-Naut realized with a nod. "Right on. Let's give these three a beating!"

The two X-Nauts charged toward Chopper, and while he managed to hit one of them, the other managed to leap forward and tackle him onto the ground. His Ninja ability had been knocked away, and while dazed, the two X-Nauts grabbed him and started shaking.

"C'mon! Get outta there, you Silver Star!"

"Uhhhh... I don't think this is working, dude."

"Just keep shaking! We'll eventually-"

A hammer suddenly hit one of them in the head, leaving it dazed. The next one was then shot by a spark projectile. Their attention was quickly drawn to Flyer and Berry, who were approaching the two.

"Ugh... That was painful..." the first X-Naut grunted. "Maybe you were right about reporting to Lord Crump. If we're taken out, the others might not have any information on them!"

"Yeah..." the second X-Naut nodded. "Let's bolt!"

Once the X-Nauts were back on their feet, their legs moved quickly as they scurried away. Berry threw her hammer, but they were already gone the moment it came back to her.

"Crud..." Berry frowned, catching her hammer.

"They got away? Aw... I wanted to fight." Chopper whined as he finally got up.

"But Chopper... They mentioned the Silver Stars." Flyer informed.

"Then we better hurry," Silvera suggested. "If those guys get to Saderta first, then we came here for nothing!"

Chopper nodded and raced ahead via his Star Dash. With the slope before him, his speed increased with ease, allowing him to go through a loop ahead and toward a Dash Ramp and a Zip Line that was to the right. He decided to grab the Zip Line, which took him over to an alternate path with plenty of tall platforms. There was even some hints of grass sticking out of the rocks too.

Once his two friends reached him, Chopper leaped across the platforms, and upon landing on solid ground, there was a green Item Star in front of him. Kicking it, he absorbed its Star Energy and suddenly felt an increase in speed when he started moving.

The moment he was running along a path curving to the side, Chopper just wanted to keep moving, even when he was launched off a Dash Ramp. This brought him back to the main path, but there were also a few other platforms sticking out and leading toward a Rainbow Ring. Chopper used a Star Dash while in the air to launch through a Dash Ring and land on one of the platforms.

"Wait... How am I supposed to do this when I'm much faster?" Chopper wondered. "Well... Maybe I should just try..."

So, Chopper started leaping from platform to platform. It was a little difficult, but he was able to get across them and to the Rainbow Ring. This let him perform a few tricks and let him go up near the top of this peak. All that remained was a path curving upward.

Luckily, his power-up was still on him, so he was already running up with ease. As he ran, several more ships from before had flown upward. At the same time, his Speed Up power-up had worn off.

Upon landing on the highest point of the mountain, Chopper spotted several X-Nauts standing before a yellow cloud made up of sand. One of them was trying to get a better look at it, while another was bouncing off it and not getting enough height.

"What the heck is this cloud about?" the X-Naut bouncing on the cloud questioned. "Apparently there's a place above this mountain, but what's the point of this cloud?"

"I don't know, maybe it could-" one X-Naut stopped when its head turned toward Chopper. It immediately got into a kung fu stance. "One of those chumps those two told us about are here!"

The other X-Nauts brought their attention toward the hero and got in the same stance. Chopper gave them a glare as they came charging his way. Thankfully, he was prepared for their attack by leaping into the air to stomp on their heads. However, one managed to knock him onto the ground, and soon enough he was being dogpiled.

Well, until a hammer came in and knocked them all away.

After Chopper shook his head, he noticed Flyer and Berry in front of him. The latter had caught her hammer and let out a sigh.

"That's the second time I had to save you..." Berry remarked. "Maybe you should wait for us more, Choppy..."

"Ummmm... Well, I found something." Chopper said, pointing at the sand cloud. "I don't know what it is...but I think it might go somewhere..."

"Let me see..." Flyer flew over to the cloud to get a better look. He touched it, only to make it jiggle. "Ah! This is a cloud that you can bounce off! Maybe if you use something like a Super Stomp, it should launch you high up! Surely we'll reach Sky Sands then!"

"Oh! I'll try it out then!" Chopper nodded, leaping onto the cloud. After bouncing, he used his Super Stomp to launch even higher. Flyer had followed him by flapping his wings, while Berry jumped on the cloud and used her hammer to help bounce her high enough.

Chopper found himself agape at the many clouds surrounding him while being launched up. Surprisingly, none of these clouds looked like any he had seen before. In fact, they, like the one he bounced off, had a sandy texture to it.

However, he didn't have much time to look at the scenery when he found himself dropping. Looking below, he noticed sandy ground several feet below him.

While his landing was soft, it wasn't exactly smooth...

Just as he pushed himself out of the sand, someone else had fallen on him, bringing him back to square one.

"That was a surprisingly soft landing..." Berry remarked as Flyer finally landed. Meanwhile, she got a look around, but noticed a certain someone was missing. "Hey... Where's Choppy?"

"Mrrrfmmh!"

Berry gasped as she looked down and noticed that she was standing on him. She quickly stepped back, grabbed one of his feet, and pulled him out. A pop was made as he was fully pulled out.

"Oh, geez! I'm so sorry, Choppy!" Berry cried, putting her hands on the sides of her head. "I didn't see you, I swear!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Chopper questioned, making Berry fall forward.

"Never mind..." Berry mumbled as she got up. They all took the time to look around them. Sand was everywhere, but the path's edges looked like sand was pouring downward and slowly disintegrating. "So... We're on Sky Sands... I...never thought I'd be around here..."

"So you don't know anything about this place?" Flyer asked, taking out his Holomap. "Well, that's all right. My Holomap can at least track Saderta's Lair! And it's... Well, we're going to be moving for a while, that's for sure."

"I can handle that," Chopper assured, adjusting the cuffs on his gloves. "I'll go on ahead!"

"Chopper, hold on! Maybe we should stick together!"

"...Oh, I mean let's go on ahead...together!"

With his fists clenched, Chopper started moving ahead, with the other two following a few feet behind. To Chopper, it looked like this place did not have much life. A few broken pillars were on the ground, and even some rocks were sticking out of the sand. Chopper used these rocks like ramps to leap into the air and perform a Star Dash.

When he landed, Chopper's eyes caught sight of some form of life. Well, life he had already seen before.

"Uh oh... There's more of those X bad guys..." Chopper trailed, noticing a few X-Nauts kneeling down on the sand. Surprisingly, they paid no attention to him, even when he came to a sudden halt. "Wait... What are they doing?"

"Lord Crump! Lord Crump!"

Chopper's antennae sprung up at that moment when he saw those two X-Nauts running toward a new figure standing on top of a hill. For now, he and the other two hid behind a rock nearby and took a peek at the purple figure in the black uniform and red cape.

"Lord Crump! We came here for-" one of the X-Nauts stopped when it looked at the other group of X-Nauts. "Wait... What are they doing?"

"What does it look like? We're combing the desert, as Grodus said!" Lord Crump answered.

"With combs?"

"Well, yeah! Those were his orders!"

"Ummmm... OK..." the first X-Naut turned to the other. "I think he's being too literal."

"Anyway, what do you want?" Lord Crump asked.

"There's some outsiders here," the second X-Nauts explained. "And one of them has a Silver Star."

"Wait, really?" Lord Crump pulled out a small gadget and noticed it blinking. "Hey... I'm detecting some of that Silver Star energy nearby! Does that mean you got it?"

"Errrr... You told us to come to you about finding a Silver Star..."

"Pffffff! That's ridiculous! I never said that!"

While Lord Crump was bickering with the X-Nauts, Chopper, Flyer, and Berry exchanged nods before finally vaulting over the rock to approach Lord Crump. While he and one of the X-Nauts were arguing, the other took notice of them.

"Lord Crump! They're over there!"

"Not now, X-Naut! I-" Lord Crump stopped himself when he spotted the three. "Who the heck are you guys?"

"They're the ones with a Silver Star," the X-Naut informed. "That one with the antennae is the one who has it."

"Really? Huh... So you're the reason why my Silver Star Detector was going crazy. ...Wait a minute, if you have one, then that means there are two here! Buh! Buh! Buh huh huh! This is perfect! So, kid... Do me a good favor and cough up that Silver Star!"

"No way! And we're getting that Silver Star here first!" Chopper declared. "You guys won't stop us!"

Lord Crump pulled out a remote, and suddenly a small, purple hovercraft flew in and scooped up the commander. "I'd test out my new robot on you losers... But I'm gonna kill two bird with one stone and go after the other one myself! The rest of you can fight these guys and take the Silver Star off them!"

Once Lord Crump flew off, the X-Nauts leaped in the air to dogpile them. Chopper had used his Star Spin to send many flying back, Flyer fired whirlwinds to knock a few away, and Berry's hammer spin not only threw many backwards, but defeated several as well.

With many X-Nauts in a daze, Chopper was able to inhale a few near each other and fire a Star Spit at the rest. The large star had managed to finish off the rest, allowing them to go forward.

As the group ran forward, they spotted several more ships fly past them. Only this time, they turned around and started firing shots their way. Chopper dodged them, but his attention was quickly drawn toward a sandy road over to his right with several Starries. He decided to go that way, making the others follow him.

The sandy road looked as if wind had been blowing through it, thus pushing them forward. When they were on the next sand island, three X-Naut Starships were on their tail.

But before Chopper could run, he took notice of a large, orange Item Star. There didn't appear to be any barrier surrounding it or anything. Out of curiosity, he smashed through it with his Star Dash. Upon absorbing the red energy, he noticed his size slowly becoming gradual, along with sparkles surrounding his body.

 _ **Power-up: Giant**_

 _ **Chopper has increased in size! Take advantage of this and plow down anything in your way! No enemies can escape the wrath of Giant Chopper! Hurry, before time runs out!**_

"Huh? What's going on?" Chopper questioned.

"I think you might've absorbed Star Energy from a Giant Star," Silvera informed.

"Oh... Hey! I can reach those ships now!"

The X-Naut Starships started firing shots at Chopper, but they only bounced off him as he ran past them. One hit was enough to destroy them, and the other X-Nauts on the ground either became pancakes, or they were knocked off the sand and down below.

"Wow! I'm so fast!" Chopper gasped, noticing how easy it was for him to travel forward. Many pillars and rocks had smashed into pieces as he ran past them.

"It's because you've grown big," Flyer explained, flying by his side. "Everything else is just smaller."

"Yeah!" Chopper smiled, smashing an X-Naut Starship with one punch. "And my punches can actually do something!"

After taking down one more ship, he noticed his surroundings suddenly growing. Chopper blinked as he looked at his hands and then at the floor. And that was when he realized what was going on.

"Awww... It's already gone?"

"That stinks..." Berry trailed. "On the plus side, I can already see another windy sand path ahead!"

"Oh, yeah! ...Hey, is that Hyper Energy over there?" Chopper gasped, noticing the Hyper Energy over by a smashed rock. He zipped over to it, and after grabbing the Hyper Energy, he put it away with the others. "I think that's six! That must mean there's no more around here..."

Chopper returned to the others before going on the windy sand path. Like the other, it felt like they were being pushed forward by the wind. But that was no problem for Chopper, especially when he ran around in a spiral and a corkscrew manner. How the others were able to do the same thing, his mind was unsure about that.

After being launched off the path, they landed on the main one. The three could already see a building ahead, so Chopper rushed toward it first, taking the small staircase up to a small room with two staircases on the left and right going to a doorway. Up ahead, meanwhile, was a heavily damaged floor.

But they weren't the only ones in this room. Two X-Nauts, along with another two on silver mechs sporting an X-Naut symbol behind them were waiting for the three. The X-Naut Walkers fired a red laser that nearly struck Chopper's foot. Flyer flew over to one of the machines, and with his Morph-O-Tool, used his wrench to disable it. This helped him take down the X-Naut piloting it. Chopper easily took care of the other X-Naut Walker with a Star Dash, while Berry spun her hammer to take care of the X-Nauts.

Once they were through with them, Chopper's attention was drawn toward the damaged floor before him. Sure, he could take the Pulley up the stairs, but this grabbed his attention more, especially since a trail of red Starries led to it.

"The structure appears weak," Flyer analyzed upon getting a better look. "Maybe you could-"

Chopper jumped in the air, and with a Super Stomp, he smashed through the floor and landed on a rail made of sand.

"...Never mind," the Wingel shrugged as he and Berry followed him down. Chopper's speed on the rail increased thanks to a Dash Rail. This had led him upward and through a corkscrew manner around a narrow path. Along the way, he had collected a Star Medal before landing by a Dash Ramp.

Once he was in the air, Chopper found another floating sand island to his left. Sure, there was a Zip Line going to another one ahead, but curiosity got to him when he saw that Starry trail going to a Dash Ring.

"Uhhhh... Hold on tight, guys!" Chopper warned, grabbing Flyer and Berry's arms before performing his Light Speed Dash on the Starry trail. In less than a second, they were through the Dash Ring and onto the next sand island.

But they certainly weren't alone either. A Wizzam and Lasher were walking around, but a lime-colored figure shaped like an X was also floating around too. Details included round, yellow lips, yellow circles on the ends of their bodies, and a black paint job around its eyes. Judging by how it was with the X-Nauts, it was safe to assume that they belonged to them.

"It's a Yux," Flyer informed, identifying it with his Ray Scanner. "Looks like they can create these Mini-Yuxes that make a barrier around it."

Chopper went up to the Lasher first, and after inhaling it, he regained his Whip ability. The Yux, however, fired a pink projectile in the shape of a ring. He leaped through the opening to avoid taking damage, and as he swung his whip, the Yux summoned a green, triangular figure with a black paint job around its yellow eyes. The green, round barrier it created caused Chopper's whip to bounce off.

Annoyed, he struck the Mini-Yux, and with it gone, the Yux was now vulnerable. After dodging another ring shot, Chopper got up close, and upon grabbing it, slammed it onto the ground, destroying the Yux. Meanwhile, Berry had run past the other enemies while twirling her hammer, taking them out.

Chopper's attention was quickly brought to the end of this floating sand island. For a moment, he saw a few more sand clouds over there. He rushed over to the end, and thanks to a Wide Spring, he was launched up to one of the clouds. They weren't as big as the others cloud getting here, and it didn't bounce him as high, but it was still better than nothing. How else would he get the Electric Shield from that yellow Item Star in the air?

After going through a Rainbow Ring, Chopper started performing some tricks to stay in the air and collect a Star Medal. Once he landed on the next sand island, he spotted a large caved in path with a slope going upward. A few X-Naut Walkers and Yuxes were in the way as well.

To make things even more interesting, Chopper found another rainbow Item Star, which he immediately struck to absorb its Star Energy. Now that he was invincible, he didn't have to get up and personal with the enemies. Just running into them was enough to take them out!

"Another invincibility already? Very convenient." Flyer remarked.

"Hopefully that purple guy isn't too far," Chopper said, destroying an X-Naut Walker with a Star Dash. By the time he reached the top of the slope, there were two exits out of the cave. Chopper decided to go to the right, where he found himself running along another sand path made up of wind.

When the wind moved upward, Chopper had started running up until he was launched off. He saw another sand island below, along with several sand clouds surrounding him. As Chopper began to free fall, he found a Star Medal on one of the clouds, so he canceled his slow fall by landing on one of the clouds. By bouncing off, he found another Starry trail, so after grabbing both Flyer and Berry, the pale green boy used a Light Speed Dash to head for a sand rail leading to another island.

"How high are we?" Berry asked, looking down below.

"If I knew, I'd probably tell you," Flyer answered as they went through a loop and onto the island, where Chopper's invincibility wore off. A Major Dice, Diamo, and two Yuxes were there to greet him. Chopper managed to take out the Major Dice with his whip, but one of the Yuxes shot a ring at his Electric Shield, destroying it. The Diamo had also jumped and crushed Chopper, knocking away his Whip ability.

Berry glared at the Stony as she was about to crush it with her hammer, but Chopper managed to unflatten himself and inhale the enemy, thus gaining the Diamond ability. Then he took out the Yux that shot him by firing diamond shards after unleashing his Shard Burst.

Since Chopper had already taken care of the Diamo, Berry went after the last Yux instead. One hammer strike was enough to take it out.

After clearing them out, Chopper forged onward, finding a slope going through two loops. He happily ran through them, all the while finding a Zip Line that was heading down to the island below. Along the way, Chopper collected a few yellow Starries, along with another Star Medal.

To make things even more rewarding, the three landed on the upper portion of the island, which was made up of a marbled floor. Some X-Nauts and an X-Naut Walker was in the way, and while taking out the walker together was easy, the others changed things up a bit. For starters, one pulled out a green potion, and after pulling its collar, drank it down. This caused it to grow bigger in size. However, it went down the same way as the rest of the X-Nauts.

A Trick Ramp was ahead, and some food to the left was available as well. Chopper ate this food to recover his health, then he went on the Trick Ramp to perform some tricks. There wasn't much of a reason to do these tricks, except for using his Light Speed Dash on another Starry trail.

When he landed, Chopper spotted Lord Crump up ahead going along a trail. Near him, however, were three Copy Essences. One was Whip, another Chakram, and third Energy. Whip's Copy Essence was orange with an image of a whip on it. For now, he stuck with his Diamond ability before he and the others continued ahead.

"All right... That Silver Star is just up ahead." Lord Crump mumbled, noticing the blinking go faster on his Silver Star Detector. As he put it away, the X-Naut commander let out a chuckle. "Man, I'm such a genius. Letting those X-Nauts take care of those pests to get their Silver Star while I found the one ahead? Grodus is going to think I'm so cool! Buh huh huh! And even if they somehow beat those X-Nauts, they're not fast enough to catch up to me!"

"Hey, purple guy!"

"Buh huh?" Lord Crump turned around and noticed Chopper and his friends coming his way. At first, he shrugged it off and continued, but the moment he saw Chopper running by his side, the X-Naut commander found his eyes widening behind his goggles. "BUH HUH?!"

"You're not getting away this time!" Chopper declared, ready to throw a diamond punch at Lord Crump's hovercraft.

"Oh, crud... Well so much for this being easy." Lord Crump stopped his mobile when they were in a larger area. "But I guess it's not all bad! I can finally put my new robot to use!"

Pressing a button on his mobile, the machine suddenly suddenly gained a black body with a white X on its body, a purple head above the cockpit with goggles white fists, and thrusters on the bottom of its body.

"Buh! Buh! Buh huh huh! How do you like this, huh? I call this Magnus Crump! This bad boy's got it all!"

"Admittedly, it does look impressive," Flyer remarked. "But did you really need to design it to make it look like yourself?"

"Someone's got a big ego," Berry commented.

"Well... Who cares what it looks like?" Lord Crump dismissed. "What's important is that I use it to crush you and take that Silver Star from your hands!"

"Can he actually do that?" Chopper asked.

"He can't force me out, that's for sure," Silvera replied. "But take him down anyway."

"OK... Then let's fight!"

"Too bad this thing doesn't have tissues, 'cause it's what you're gonna need when I pummel the lot of you!" Lord Crump cackled, and with that, Magnus Crump had shot missiles from the lower portion of its body.

 _ **Mid-boss: Magnus Crump**_

 _ **Lord Crump's secret weapon is out, and it's ready to crush Chopper and his friends! Its fists can flatten you like a pancake, those lasers can give you quite a shock, and the missile's explosions can throw you back. There's even a few other tricks Lord Crump has with Magnus Crump...**_

The fact that Chopper did nothing to even dodge the missiles made Lord Crump grin as they made their impact. He started guffawing at the sight of this, but the moment the smoke cleared, his laughing slowed down and eventually stopped when he spotted a statue of an X-Naut in Chopper's place. And then it turned into Chopper, making Lord Crump blink in bewilderment.

"Buh-huh? How'd you do that?! Come to think of it... You weren't the same when I first saw you!"

"Yeah!" Chopper replied, leaping in the air to land his two feet on Magnus Crump. The stomp caused the robot to try to throw him back, but it ended up missing when he jumped back. Right when he was about to fire diamond shards, the goggles of Magnus Crump fired two orange lasers that knocked Chopper onto the ground.

"Huh! Take that!"

Chopper was quick to get back on his feet and leap toward Magnus Crump again. Turning into a statue of himself, he managed to strike the cockpit and do some serious damage to the machine. Magnus Crump tried crushing him with its fists, but not even that smashed through his diamond barrier.

Because of this, Berry was given the opportunity to strike. Running toward Magnus Crump, she slammed her hammer on the ground to give her some height. While flipping in the air, the pink girl eventually reached Magnus Crump's cockpit, and with one hammer strike, the robot was stumbling back with a few sparks coming out of its body.

"Crud... This ain't looking too good." Lord Crump gulped. "And I put a lot of effort into this thing!"

"Well, looks like that hard work isn't going to get you anywhere with us around!" Berry smirked, who ran in for another attack. Lord Crump simply pressed another button, and Magnus Crump swung a fist that sent her flying back. "Ow..."

"Taste missiles, chumps!" Lord Crump cackled, his robot shooting missiles into the air. By the time Chopper reverted back to normal, he saw the missiles flying down. He dodged their fire and created a fist made of diamond in his hand. His Diamond Fist managed to knock Magnus Crump back even further.

Shaking angrily, Lord Crump banged his fists on two buttons, causing Magnus Crump to fire lasers and missiles at the same time. Chopper yelped and turned into a statue of Flyer, while the real Flyer flew around to dodge their fire and shoot electric shots from his Blast-O. With more sparks flying out of Magnus Crump, Chopper turned back to normal and looked at Flyer.

"Let's use a Whirlwind Launch, Flyer!" Chopper cried.

"Good idea," Flyer agreed, flying down to scoop his best friend off the ground. "Berry! Keep that robot busy!"

"You've got it!" Berry nodded, speeding up to Magnus Crump to land a few twirling hammer attacks in the air. Lord Crump noticed this and brought his machine's attention toward her. Now that Chopper and Flyer had a distraction, the latter started spinning around until he was in a whirlwind. After enough spins, the Wingel let go of Chopper, who used his Diamond Fist to land a direct hit on Magnus Crump's cockpit. The robot found itself tumbling around until it was lying down on its front.

"Yeah! We did it!" Chopper cheered, giving Flyer and Berry a high five.

"Wait, you're celebrating my defeat? I'm not even done yet!" Lord Crump exclaimed. "I've got plenty of more in store for you!"

Pressing another button, the cockpit suddenly flipped horizontally, while the fists had become pincer claws. At this point, Magnus Crump looked more like a starship than a battle robot. But looks can be deceiving...

"Buh! Buh! Buh huh huh! You really thought this was finished?" Lord Crump cackled. "Wait 'till you see how much faster this thing is!"

Magnus Crump started flying backwards faster than before, forcing the trio to run after it. Being the fastest of the three, Chopper was able to catch up to Magnus Crump with ease. However, a few, purple spiked bombs were dropped along the way. Because of this, Chopper found himself jumping and dodging a few of these bombs. Berry, however, had put her hammer to use and swung the bombs back at Magnus Crump.

"Ow! You're gonna pay for that!" Lord Crump yelled, making Magnus Crump open its pincers in order to snap at Berry. She jumped over these and brought her hammer down on them, while Chopper lunged forward at the robot with his Star Dash.

The impact of this attack caused Magnus Crump to tumble backwards, but Chopper wasn't done there. He sped up and got close enough to the robot to use his Diamond Fist to throw a diamond punch that knocked it even further. To finish off his attack, Chopper chased Magnus Crump once more and struck it with another Star Dash.

"Gurk! Urrrrrrgh... That was really painful..." Lord Crump moaned. "But it ain't over yet, chumps! Prepare for a missile barrage!"

Magnus Crump fired a few missiles, and while one managed to hit Chopper and throw him back and knock away his Diamond ability, Flyer was able to destroy the rest of them with a few ice shots. They froze in the air, and Chopper and Berry were able to send them flying back toward Magnus Crump.

But it wasn't done there. It attempted to grab them with its pincers, and when that failed, they opened up and fired green lasers instead. Chopper yelped as Flyer flew him and Berry over it safely.

"Geez... How long do you think this is going to go?" Chopper asked.

"I don't know, but we should end this now," Flyer insisted, letting the two go when the laser stopped.

"Well... We could try another Team Attack."

"I don't know, Chopper... I'm a little worn out from that. ...Unless you and Berry can do one?"

"A Team Attack with Choppy?" Berry smiled. "If it makes you happy, I'll help you out."

"Make it quick," Silvera suggested. "Because it looks like that Crump guy is firing missiles your way."

"OK... Well... Oh! I think I have an idea, Choppy! Can you spin around?"

"Ummmm... Yeah! I can do it now if you want!" Chopper nodded as he started to spin around via his Star Spin. Once he was spinning enough times, Berry jumped onto him while spinning her hammer. The two began to spin faster than before as they sped forward, creating a trail of green and pink behind.

Thankfully, Flyer seemed to be doing a good job at keeping Magnus Crump at bay with his Blast-O. Because of this, Lord Crump was not expecting a spinning blur of pink and green to come his way and knock it farther than before. Only now, a shimmering light was emitting from Magnus Crump's body.

"What the... What's going on here?!" Lord Crump cried.

With one explosion, Lord Crump was sent flying out of his destroyed robot and landed right in front of Chopper and Berry. Only now, he was covered in soot.

"Buh! Bu-AAAAARGH! No! Magnus Crump! My beautiful creation that was cooler than Grodus!"

"So, did you have enough?" Berry smirked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Buh-hurrgh..." Lord Crump panted as got himself up. "Hurff... Hurfff... Hurffff... You guys are definitely more than I thought. Who the heck are you, antennaed freak?"

"I'm Chopper, hero of my home world, Clara!" Chopper declared.

"Chopper, huh? Well, I won't forget this! You will rue the day you messed with us X-Nauts, 'cause now you're our number one target!

With that, Lord Crump made a run for it...only to trip over a small rock before getting up to continue running.

"Well that takes care of him," Chopper smiled.

"But who was that Grodus he mentioned?" Silvera questioned.

"Ummmmm... Probably no one special?"

"He acted like this Grodus was his superior," Berry pointed out. "So... I wouldn't say he's no one special."

"Oh... I guess you're right." Chopper nodded.

"You two did an excellent job with that Team Attack," Flyer remarked, flying over to them. "What's its name?"

"Well... Maybe we can call it the Couple's Attack?" Berry smiled while looking at Chopper. However, he only gave her a confused look, while Flyer was raising an eyebrow. "...OK, fine. I think Cyclone Dash works better. _...But I like my other name better._ "

"Anyway, I think now's the time to continue on," the Wingel looked on ahead and spotted a giant sand island off in the distance. "Perhaps...Saderta's Lair is over there?"

Berry immediately froze in place, while Silvera flew out of Chopper to take a look.

"Hmmmmm... Yeah, it's there all right." Silvera confirmed. "I can feel the energy of a Silver Star coming from there. So... I hope you guys are ready."

"Yeah, we can do it, right Berry?" Chopper said, turning to her. "...Berry? Are you OK?"

"We... We're actually c-close to Saderta's Lair?" Berry stammered. "I didn't think w-we'd be so close..."

"But... We have a chance, don't we?"

"I don't know why... B-But I still have that nervous feeling... Don't you ever f-feel like when you think you can do it, y-you're still scared inside? ...Th-That's kind of how I feel."

"Well... I used to have that feeling before... I think as long as you do your best, you should be able to face whatever's against you. Plus, you said this Saderta found you guys near the mountain...and look where we are!"

"That's so encouraging of you, Choppy... Thanks..."

"Well, I want to help people," Chopper nodded before looking over at a sandy path going toward the island. Nearby was some food they chose to eat to recover their health, along with three more Copy Essences. This time, it was Ninja, Whip, and Diamond. For now, he decided to go with the Whip ability. "OK... Let's go, guys!"

Once everyone approached the windy sand path, they sped onward through a few corkscrews and toward the large sand island ahead.

"Bah! I can't believe we underestimated our foes! The fact that they're much more than I thought angers me!"

Unbeknownst to the trio, the Shadow Sirens had been watching the entire showdown between Chopper and his friends, and Lord Crump and his robot. Beldam shook a fist, which emitted a few snowflakes.

"Curse that Chopper and his friends! The mere thought of being beaten down by a group of _children_ is humiliating!"

"Well, to be fair, Sis..." Vivian began, rubbing her bruised cheek. "Just because someone is young doesn't mean-"

"Silence, you ditz! You have no right to speak after your incompetency against Chopper!"

"Guh!" Marilyn exclaimed.

"You too, Marilyn! While you did a much better job against that winged freak, you could've done better. And who would've thought that the one I was fighting against was just some little girl-" Beldam stopped herself as she watched Berry get closer to the giant sand island. A large grin formed on her face as she chuckled. "Actually, my lovelies... Maybe them being children isn't so bad, especially those lot. They seem too good...and pure of heart, especially that girl..."

"Sis, what do you..." Vivian stopped herself when she blinked in realization. "You... You don't mean...?"

"Guh! Guuuuh!" Marilyn grunted.

"You're right, Marilyn. We could surely use some help here... And I think we already have an idea of who can help!"

Beldam slowly slipped into the shadows with her sisters and rose right in front of the fleeing Lord Crump. The moment he saw them appear, he yelped and fell on his bottom.

"What the... Who the heck are you freaks?!" Lord Crump exclaimed. "I'm in the middle of running here!"

"Rest assured. We're not here to fight." Beldam assured. "My name is Beldam, leader of the Shadow Sirens. We happened to watch your fight against that Chopper, and we were impressed with how you fought."

"Well it didn't turn out so well..."

"Oh, that doesn't matter. What does, matter, on the other hand, is something that can benefit you and the rest of your kind!"

"Really? And what's that?"

"Take us to your superior, and we'll give you all the details."

"Hmmmmmm..." Lord Crump put his thumb and index finger underneath his purple mask to ponder. "If it's gonna be helpful, then I'll take you to Grodus. ...But that's all up to him in the end!"

"Mmmwee hee hee hee! Excellent!" Beldam grinned. "Trust me, you won't be disappointed!"

* * *

 **The Giant power-up was actually going to be something only used in certain Giant Bosses, but I decided to scrap that idea and make it something like the Mega Mushroom in later Mario games.**

 **Anyway, believe it or not, the next chapter is the last part of the Ava Arc. Yeah, this one was quick - except I just posted them faster than usual. :P**


	15. The Legendary Sand Dragon

Chapter 15: The Legendary Sand Dragon

Upon stepping off the windy path, the trio's feet felt the warm feeling of the sand as they took several steps onto the large island. All three of them gazed in awe at how ginormous this place was. In fact, they couldn't even see the other side of the island from where they stood! This place wasn't just flat either. A few small sand dunes were around, and some rocks were sticking out of the sand as well, as were a few pillars. There were even a few floating islands above too!

"So... This is it..." Berry trailed. "We're actually here..."

Silvera had flown out of Chopper to get a look at her surroundings herself. "Hmmmmmm... I can feel the Silver Star somewhere... But I'm not exactly sure where. I wonder if this place has some sort of cave to Saderta's Lair?"

Once they took several more steps, the entire floor began to shake. Everyone tried to keep their balance, but then their attention was drawn toward the sand several feet ahead. A portion of it appeared to be...rising?

But then they realized that the sand wasn't actually rising, but a figure was coming out instead. A large, yellow one, that was.

Sure, seeing this sand dragon from a distance was something, but getting a look at it from up close, he easily towered over the four. His body was glowing white, the crest along his back was a beige color, his whiskers were orange, along with the horns, he sported sharp teeth, and those gorgeous silver eyes were staring down at the four.

"Who dare enters disturb my rest?!" the dragon bellowed, hiss low voice being enough to make everyone widen their eyes. "I, Saderta, do not tolerate those who intrude upon my lair!"

"Excuse me..." Silvera began, flying up to the giant sand dragon. "We don't mean to be rude, but there's a reason why we came-"

Saderta opened his mouth and chomped down on Silvera, leaving everyone to gasp.

"I don't care why you came here," Saderta stated. "Those who come after my sacred treasure will be destroyed."

Saderta eventually brought his head down to the other three and looked down at them with his eyes. Chopper's fists were clenched as he glared at the dragon, Flyer had drawn his Blast-O, but Berry was the one looking the most uncertain.

"You..." Saderta began, staring at the pink one. "For some reason, you look...familiar. State your name."

"I'm... I'm Berry..." Berry trailed.

"Berry... I see... You look just like that one girl with the Scarvanas several years ago... They tried to steal my sacred treasure, but it only led to their extinction. I'm surprised that only one remains..."

"Yeah..."

"And now you decided to come back. Have you come here to reclaim my sacred treasure? Or do you wish to rejoin the rest of your clan?"

"...No," Berry stated, drawing her hammer. "I'm here to put an end to you!"

With an uppercut swing to Saderta's throat, the dragon's body was thrown back as he let out a few coughs. Silvera had come out and immediately flew down to the group.

"Gross gross GROSS!" Silvera cried. "I NEVER want to be eaten again!"

When Saderta shook off the hit, he grit his teeth while narrowing his eyes at the group. "You were foolish to make such a mistake. You and the rest of your friends are going to be history!"

Saderta let out a roar as the rest of hiss body flew out of the sand and began to go upward.

"Give this dragon everything you've got, guys," Silvera suggested, going into Chopper. "And don't get eaten! Seriously, it's awful!"

 _ **Boss: Saderta the Legendary Sand Dragon**_

 _ **Saderta is said to slumber every one hundred years... But now he's awaken from an unnatural cause. Many fear this dragon, but don't let its fireballs, claws, or beam attacks get to you! Now is the time to avenge the Scarvanas and take the Silver Star it has!**_

"This is it..." Flyer began, aiming his weapon at Saderta. "Chopper... Berry... I suggest we all work together to take on this dragon."

"Right..." Berry nodded, tightening her grip on her hammer. "Just please... Don't do anything reckless..."

"Don't worry, Berry! We'll make sure this dragon is the one who is given what it deserves!" Chopper assured, drawing his whip.

The moment Saderta turned his head to face the three, he opened its mouth and started shooting fireballs down. Each one that hit the ground created an explosion that threw each of them back. However, Berry had done a backflip in order to land on her feet. While sliding back, she glared at Saderta before throwing her hammer toward him. Unfortunately, it didn't even get close to reaching his head before the hammer came back to Berry.

Flyer decided that he'd get a little closer to Saderta, so with his wings flapping, he took off from the ground to reach the dragon. This didn't go unnoticed, and Saderta shot a fireball his way. Unfortunately, it was a direct hit, and Flyer found himself panting on the ground after getting up.

"OK... We can't just fly up there..." Flyer sighed. "We're going to have to find a way to bring this monster down."

"I don't think we need to..." Berry trailed, noticing Saderta fly toward them. "Saderta's coming our way!"

Chopper and Flyer noticed this as well as Saderta opened his mouth. Energy suddenly began to form there as it started to turn into an yellow orb. Realizing what this was, Chopper put on a determined look as he charged straight for the dragon.

"Wait a minute, Chopper!" Flyer called out. "Don't just go charging at that monster!"

Saderta found himself chuckling as he fired a large laser in his direction. Flyer and Berry dove out of the way, but Chopper simply slid underneath the laser to avoid it. By the time the attack was finished, Saderta's head was struck by Chopper's Super Stomp. This was enough to put the dragon to a halt.

"Why you...!" Saderta hissed, raising his hands and attempting to crush Chopper with a clap. He easily dodged this and swung his whip at the dragon's snout. This, however, didn't stop Saderta from throwing a hand that hit Chopper and threw him onto the floor.

The dragon opened his mouth again as it shot a fireball in Chopper's direction. However, Berry jumped near Chopper and knocked the projectile in another direction with her hammer.

"You're not bringing him down!" Berry declared, twirling around by the tip of her right boot while swinging her hammer around. She threw herself at Saderta and delivered several more hammer strikes. The dragon grunted in pain, but he managed to grab her with his large hand and smash the pink girl onto the sand. But despite this, she was able to get up and shake off any sand that was on her clothes and hair.

Saderta went in for another punch, but Berry jumped and performed a somersault in the air. While doing this, she swung her hammer around again to strike Saderta in the head. The dragon was about to crush her, had Chopper not grabbed his horn with his whip to pull himself closer. With two feet striking his snout, Saderta held his nose in pain while Berry brought her hammer down on his head.

"Grah!" Saderta roared, swinging his arms back to throw the two off. "You two are surprisingly tough for small pests. I don't know what's up with you, antennaed one, but you've definitely gotten stronger than before, Berry."

"We can make this easy for you," Chopper stated. "You give us that Silver Star, and maybe we won't hurt you so badly!"

"Silver Star? Hmmmm... Now that I think about it, there was something I ended up swallowing in my slumber. Somehow it gave me strength greater than before without having to rest to recover it as usual. If that's what you seek... Well, I'm afraid I won't be giving you such a thing."

"Then I guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way," Berry declared, holding her hammer with two hands.

"Very well. I won't be merciful on you three." Saderta declared, diving into the sand much faster. The impact threw Chopper and Berry back, and when they stood up, Saderta had already risen from the sand. He moved in a shuttle loop before flying straight toward them.

"Dodge!" Flyer cried, and Chopper and Berry leaped in opposite directions to dodge. While Saderta flew away, Chopper had caught a hold of his tail with his whip. Unfortunately, this only led to him being dragged along the sand. Flyer had flown up to Saderta's head, and using his Blast-O, he fired an electric shot that left it temporarily paralyzed. "OK! Go ahead and deliver the pain!"

Berry did a somersault in the air again as she reached Saderta's body. To reach his head much faster, she started grinding along his crest until getting to the dragon's head. One hammer strike was enough to get Saderta to swing his tail around. Chopper's whip lost its grip, and he was thrown back. While Berry was knocked into the air, Saderta swung his tail down to knock her onto the sand again.

Saderta flew into the air and let out a roar strong enough to make the three slide back. This time, he shot white energy into the air, which began to rain down like they were comets. When Berry got up, she was about to strike one of them, but decided against it when Saderta got closer. Instead, she started running.

Another roar came out of the dragon's mouth. However, unlike the other one, this caused many obstacles around them to suddenly lift off the ground. Large rocks had started coming their way, and even the sand around them began to form whirlwinds.

However, the moment Flyer got a look at those whirlwinds, an idea struck his mind with a snap of a finger.

"Chopper! You should put those whirlwinds to use!" Flyer suggested.

"What do you... Oh!" Chopper realized, remembering what he had done before. He leaped into one of the whirlwinds, and with a Star Spin, started spinning upward. Chopper caught a few more before he was high enough to reach Saderta. This, unfortunately, seemed to backfire when the dragon caught him in the air and started squeezing him enough to get rid of his Whip ability.

Berry gasped when she saw this, but then her attention was drawn to the flying rocks. She soon got an idea and started jumping from rock to rock. When she finally reached Saderta, she struck its arms with her hammer, causing the dragon to release its grip on Chopper. Just as he was about to drop, Berry had grabbed his hand to pull him back up.

"Whew... Thanks for that, Berry!" Chopper sighed in relief.

"Come on, let's give this dragon what's coming!" Berry suggested.

"Oh no you don't!" Saderta growled, reaching for the two with its other hand. They dodged the hand and landed on his back. Chopper decided to grind along its crest until he reached the head. With one Super Stomp, Saderta let out a painful scream. But he immediately shook it off and got an idea. "Well... Getting pests off me won't be difficult."

With that, Saderta began to fly in a corkscrew loop. Chopper and Berry found themselves losing their balance, but they managed to grab a hold of his crest to keep on. When Saderta noticed this, he flew back into place and moved his body upward. Suddenly, the two were launched into the air and were free falling down.

To make matters worse, Saderta was charging up another beam attack from his mouth.

"Uh oh..." Chopper gulped, immediately diving down with Berry. They just barely managed to dodge the beam fire before landing on one of the floating islands above the lair.

However, Saderta had other ideas. He flew toward them and prepared to charge into the two. ...Well, had an electric shot not struck it and paralyzed its body. Flyer soon reached the two before landing on the island.

"Let's take advantage of our Whirlwind Launch, Chopper!" Flyer suggested, grabbing Chopper's arm before flying into the air. "Berry! Do what you can to keep that dragon busy!"

"Got it," Berry nodded, raising her hammer before slamming it onto Saderta's snout. This shook him out of his paralysis before bringing his attention toward her.

"I'll admit... You're definitely better than what you used to be..." Saderta remarked. "Even if you take me down... It won't change what happened to that ninja clan of yours!"

"I know..."

"Hmph... I can tell you're still feeling nervous. You still don't have what it takes to take me down, right?"

"Admittedly, I still am..." Berry nodded, putting on a determined look. "But sometimes... I need to face my fear. As scared as I was before, I managed to come out here without my disguise... And if I did that, then I believe I can defeat you too."

"I admire your speech... But I'm still going to emerge victorious." Saderta chuckled, and right when he was going to shoot a beam, Chopper struck his snout with a Star Dash. The power of the Whirlwind Launch managed to knock the dragon onto the ground. Chopper, Flyer, and Berry made a big leap down onto the sand before facing Saderta.

"Saderta must be on its last edge," Silvera commented. "Do what you can to finish him off!"

"GRAGH!" Saderta roared as he lifted itself off the ground. "That's it. You leave me with no choice. I will finish you with my strongest attack!"

The sky suddenly became a bright yellow as Saderta raised his head and fired a beam upward. It let off an explosion that made lasers rain from above. All the three could do was stare with widened eyes before moving around to dodge. To make matters worse, Saderta was about to dive right at them.

"Geez! How are we supposed to avoid all of this?!" Chopper cried. "I don't know if I can handle all of this!"

"No... We still have a chance." Berry stated, tightening her grip on her hammer. "If Saderta thinks it can beat us by charging, then we can charge as well."

Getting the idea, Chopper nodded and started spinning around. Once Berry got on and started twirling, the two started charging toward Saderta. Flyer, meanwhile, flew into the air while dodging the raining lasers.

"You better make this quick! Saderta's pretty close!" Flyer warned, firing a shot at Saderta. Despite it being a direct hit, it didn't seem to make the dragon flinch.

"Prepare to meet your end!" Saderta roared, opening its mouth to fire another beam. But before he could fire, a green and pink blur suddenly struck him, causing the dragon to fall backwards and land on his back. "Ungh... What?!"

The next thing it knew, Chopper had dropped from above and stomped on its belly. Saderta had heaved in pain as something suddenly shot out of its mouth when it coughed. Before it could even think what that was, it noticed Berry coming down next. Her hammer was raised and glowing pink, causing it to grow larger in size.

"This is for my grandpa, the Scarvanas, and Chopper!"

With all the force she had, Berry had brought her hammer down on Saderta's head.

"AAAAARGHH!" Saderta cried.

The dragon's glow started to fade away as Berry leaped off the dragon. Her hammer returned to its normal size as she put it away, but before she could celebrate, Berry looked back at Saderta. He was getting back on his stomach and looked down at her – only now, he gave her a grin.

"Impressive..." the sand dragon wheezed, using his trembling arms to keep himself from collapsing. "I didn't think a Scarvana such as yourself would be the one to bring me down... Obviously you're much different than them and the rest of the people on Ava."

"Well, I didn't originally live here..." Berry informed, looking away from the dragon.

"No, not that... Everyone here is only stealing and fighting for their own benefits. But the fact that you went out of your way to help someone get something I have... Well, it does make me believe that you have more of a heart than the people of Ava. ...And to be honest, if I were to go down to someone, I would've wanted it to be someone like you."

"I... Huh?" Berry looked back at the dragon in bewilderment.

"It's all right if you don't understand," Saderta assured. "I think now it's time I finally returned to my slumber. Permanently. Until then, keep that good heart of yours, Berry, and don't be afraid."

Saderta finally gave up his struggle and dropped to the floor and exploded into a bright light that disappeared in a few seconds. No remains were left behind.

"We... We did it!" Flyer smiled. "Saderta is gone!"

"Yeah! You don't have to worry about that dragon anymore, Berry!" Chopper cheered, running over to the pink girl. However, when he noticed her not moving, he blinked in surprise. "...Berry?"

Then he got a look at her and noticed the tears.

"Berry... Are you OK?"

Berry then threw herself at Chopper and embraced the antennae boy. He felt his entire body shake just from this sudden reaction

"Thank you, Choppy..." Berry smiled, one tear falling on the sand. "Thank you for everything you've done for me..."

"H-Huh? But what about Flyer?" Chopper stammered.

"He was a great help too. But it's thanks to you that I feel happier and less afraid... You've also given me something that I never thought I'd feel in a while."

"I did? What is it?"

"Love," Berry answered, letting Chopper go.

"Huh? Love?" Chopper responded with a confused look. "What's that?"

"You don't remember, Choppy? This is an example."

She leaned her head forward, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against his cheek. Suddenly, Chopper's eyes widened, his antennae sprung up, and his mouth was open in horror as he felt himself trembling.

Suddenly all of the memories of seeing her before started to come back into his mind.

"GROOOOOOOOOOOOSS!" Chopper cried, running in circles as he wiped his cheek and flailed his arms around. Berry paid no attention to this, and she blushed while giggling.

"I'm glad it was you of all people that gave me back my courage," Berry smiled.

"Huh... So I guess there was much more to the relationship between you two than I thought." Flyer commented.

"He was my first kiss on my birthday."

Eventually Chopper stopped running in circles and let out a sigh of relief. "OK... I think I might've gotten rid of those cooties."

"Chopper..." Silvera began, flying out of his body. "I think you're forgetting something..."

"I am?" Chopper gawked. "What is it?"

"The Silver Star, for crying out loud! You made Saderta cough it out!"

"Oh yeah!" Chopper turned toward a silver star-shaped object lying a few feet ahead. Silvera flew over to it first, but Chopper easily got to it first and picked it up. To him, this Silver Star looked just like Silvera, but to her, she let out a gasp.

"Silvia?!"

"Silvia?"

"She's one of my friends! Oh, man... I didn't think she'd be the one that would be inside of a dragon..."

"Well... Now she's free!" Chopper smiled, picking up Silvia and holding her up high.

 _ **You rescued Silvia!**_

"Yay! Now we got two of them saved!"

"Technically, three are saved," Flyer corrected as he and Berry approached him.

"Oh... Well, we got three on my birthday!" Chopper cheered.

The last word made Berry gasp in happiness. "Choppy... Today's your _birthday_?!"

"Yeah. I'm now ten years old!"

"Oh, man... I wish I knew about this! I really should give you a present!"

"Well, you kind of did..." Chopper trailed.

"But I want to give you something more personal!" Berry pondered for a moment, but then she snapped her finger the moment an idea struck her head. "Oh, I know! I'll give you my undying love!"

Chopper's eyes widened the moment she stepped toward him. He instantly made a bolt away from her and toward the edge of the island.

"Noooooooo! I want to be free from love!" Chopper cried as he jumped off the island and started plummeting below. Meanwhile, Flyer, Berry, and Silvera were left with gaping mouths and widened eyes.

"...Did he seriously just jump off this island that's hundreds of feet from the ground?" Silvera asked.

"Well this isn't anything new from him..." Flyer answered truthfully.

"Awwwww... But I really wanted to celebrate his birthday with my affection..." Berry frowned.

"Looks like someone's been friend-zoned," Silvera remarked.

"No, he's... He's probably just too shy...which I think is cute...like him."

"Anyway, we better follow him," Flyer suggested. "If he can land below without getting hurt, then we should be able to as well."

The others nodded as they jumped off the island and began to follow Chopper below.

* * *

 **That's the end of the Ava Arc. Compared to other desert areas I've done, I probably consider this my favorite. I think if it weren't for the last few chapters, the world wouldn't have been as interesting.**

 **I certainly hope that the Saderta fight was up to eleven, as that was what I've been wanting to do with every boss fight.**


	16. Deadly Introductions

**Hoo boy... It's this chapter...**

* * *

Chapter 16: Deadly Introductions

When Maquano said that he would be gone quickly, the five other villains were not expecting him to be out for hours. While they tried to come up with a few ideas, they either resulted in major disagreements, or it ended with insults thrown at each other.

"Well I say that we should make an enormous empire like I've always dreamed," Eggman explained. "And we can name it the Eggman Empire!"

"Lame," Bowser snorted. "If we were going to be making an army, I would obviously be its leader."

"I agree with His Raunchiness," Kamek nodded. "He's been very successful, after all."

"Didn't you say that some plumber keeps beating you up and rescuing a princess you keep kidnapping?" King Dedede asked.

"Well... Errr... It's not as bad as what happened to you!" Bowser countered.

"Are you kidding me? I was able to take on some wizard who betrayed me, along with his ship! I even managed to take on a shadow version of me, and an evil bee queen! Tell 'em, Bandana Waddle Dee!"

"Yeah, I was there with him," Bandana Waddle Dee confirmed. "I even fought against that wizard, AND I helped restore color to several different worlds!"

"That doesn't sound very evil to me," Bowser Jr. scoffed. "Dad told me you have to beat up the good guys, not the bad guys!"

"To be fair, if there was any bad guy trying to take over the world, I'd take them down," Bowser stated. "You can't let others take over the world. That's your job."

Ridley let out a roar that forced everyone to cover their ears...if they had any.

"Hmmm... You know, Ridley's got a point." Hades agreed. "After all, you-"

Before he could finish, the door had opened, and coming into the room was Maquano.

"Never mind. Looks like Quany Poo's already here!"

"Well, that took longer than I thought," Maquano mumbled, walking over to the table. "But I succeeded."

"You mean you captured the Zeti?" Eggman gaped.

"Of course," the Demon Knight chuckled, stepping to the side. Revealed behind him were six figures in different heights. The first of these six was the red Zeti and their leader, Zavok, who stood with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. In terms of size, he stood as the second tallest in height.

The second of these figures, however, had a drastic look compared to Zavok. Instead of being bulky, he was lanky and had thin limbs and body structure. His skin color was pink from the waist up, while below was black. The Zeti's oblong head had a large, gaping mouth with long, thin sharp teeth, a cyan tongue hanging out, green eyes with a yellow sclera, and black markings underneath his eyes. On top of his head were a pair of light purple and black striped horns pointing outward, and a purple mohawk. He was sporting two clawed feet with purple toes, with one jutting out from his heel. He also had a tail like Zavok, except his was shorter, and it was bent in a Z shape. Black spikes also appeared on the Zeti, only his was a row running down from his back from the base of his neck to the middle of his spine. Meanwhile, his thin arms had purple nails on his fingers. The only thing this pink Zeti was wearing were a pair of black bracelets with gray spikes, along with a matching spiked collar. In terms of his posture, he stood hunched over a little.

As for the third figure, he was the biggest in both size and height of the six Zeti. He was orange from the waist up, and black down below. His body was circular in shape, and he had yellow nails on his fingers. Much like the other Zeti and Zavok, he had feet with two toes on the front and one of the back, only his were yellow, and on the back was a stubby tail. The Zeti also had thick yellow lips with some missing square-shaped teeth, while a few were even chipped. His red eyes sporting a yellow sclera, which also had black markings underneath. Unlike the other Zeti, he didn't have any hair on him, only having four short, yet sharp horns striped black and red. Much like the pink Zeti, he had a pair of black bracelets with gray spikes. He held a chunk of meat he was chowing down on.

The next figure stood out the most of the six due to being the smallest. Not only that, but only his head and hands with blue nails was sky blue, while the rest was black. His sclera was yellow, his eyes were purple, and the markings underneath them were black, while his eyelids were blue. Strangely, the black part of his body resembled a robe, as his small limbs had torn hems on the wrists, along with around the waist. He, too, had two toes on the front and one on the heel, only his was blue. This Zeti was unique for also being the oldest due to the wrinkles across his forehead and lips. Another proof of his age was the long, white mustache that went down to his feet, along with a strand of white hair. A pair of short horns were on his head that were striped black and yellow, and finally in his hand was a wooden staff that was taller than him, which ended in an inward swirl at the top.

Unlike the other Zeti, the fifth was the only female in the group. Her height was shorter than the pink Zeti, but taller than the blue one. She had a slender upper body that curved out into wide hips. Her upper body was lime that sported two black stripes on her waist, while the lower portion of her body was black. Her wrists had a black stripe, and her hands were black with hot pink nails. The green Zeti's feet also had two lime toes on the front and one of the heel. Her tail was thin and curly, ending in a swirl similar to a chameleon. Her yellow sclera contained blue eyes, and surrounding her eyes was a black ring. She had one pair of eyelashes, while her eyelids were yellow-orange, and her lips were orange. Long, green hair parting to the right was extending down to her legs, with the left side of her head sporting a pink and black striped curved horn. To show off her feminine posture, her right hand was placed on her hip.

The final Zeti was the second shortest of the group, being taller than the blue one and shorter than the green one. The upper part of his body was white, and the lower portion was black like the others. His arms were skinny, as were his legs sporting two cyan toes on the front and one on the heel. The tail he had was short and rat-like, and on his hands were black, fingerless gloves with cyan nails. His oblong-shaped head had black markings underneath his eyes, which sported yellow sclera, and blue irises. However, only his left eye was visible, because the bangs on his purple hair covered the right side. On his face were freckles, and his large lips were purple. Finally, a pair of black and cyan striped horns curved backward were on his head. His posture was more slouched, and in his hand was a blue rose.

However, all six Zeti seemed to pay no attention to anyone else with the exception of Eggman. All twelve eyes narrowed angrily at the scientist, who found himself flinching for a moment.

"Hey, we haven't seen them in a while!" Cubot exclaimed.

"Uh, Boss... Maybe it's time you took cover..." Orbot suggested.

"So... I see you've got the fat man with you..." Zavok began, cracking his knuckles. "We haven't forgotten what you've done to us, Eggman..."

"Heh heh heh! We never got a chance to get our revenge!" the pink Zeti cackled. "I've been waitin' for this moment for so long!"

"You attack him, and I just might play a song from my conch," Maquano threatened, pulling out the conch. All six Zeti instantly recoiled at the sight of it. "Good. At least you know who your master is."

"'Master'... Right." Zavok scoffed. "I suppose we never made our introductions, not that it matters... Brothers, if you may..."

"Right, Boss!" the pink Zeti nodded, stepping in first. "The name's Zazz! I'm always in the mood to destroy somethin', so let me know if ya got anythin' for me to tear apart!"

"Uhhhh... My name's Zomom." the orange Zeti said as he took a bite out of his meat. "Do you have any more food? I don't know if this is going to be the only thing to cut it."

"Don't worry, Zomom. I can assure you that you'll get your meal soon." the small, blue Zeti said as he stepped forward with the help of his cane. "Anyway, I am Master Zik, the original leader of the Deadly Six. I may be over a thousand years old, but I can assure you youngsters that I have plenty of more experience than you do."

"A thousand years old? That doesn't beat my age." Maquano scoffed.

"All right, I might as well get my introduction over with," the green Zeti shrugged, stepping in next. "Just call me Zeena. All you need to know is that you shouldn't bother me when I'm busy with my looks. Beauty takes time, and I can't afford to lose that."

"This place is almost as dark as my cold heart," the white Zeti said in a gloomy voice. "I'm Zor, the youngest of the Deadly Six. Not that it matters though; we're all going to die anyway."

"And I am Zavok, leader of the Deadly Six," Zavok finally stepped in. "Don't test my patience, especially you, Eggman. Even if we can't do much now, we will always be keeping an eye on you, even in the depths of your nightmares."

"Ehhh... I'll give that a six at most." Hades commented from the side.

"Huh... That red one kind of looks like me in some instances..." Bowser remarked. "But I'm still cooler in the end."

"Do you think he's got a son similar to me, Dad?" Bowser Jr. asked.

"Who knows? You'd still be the better son anyway."

"Lord Maquano! I return!" Camikon announced, teleporting into the room. Before he could speak up, he took a look at the six Zeti. "So... These are the Zeti you captured?"

"Oh, yes. They were so easy to put under my control." Maquano chuckled, making Zavok narrow his eyes at him. "Who ever thought that one simple sound would be so harmful to demons like them?"

"Yes... But Lord Maquano, I received a message from the Shadow Sirens. Apparently they were unable to take down Chopper. And reports have informed me that he had also gotten the Silver Star on Ava."

"Really? Well, that's all right. Now I have a good reason to put these six to use." Maquano said, turning to the Deadly Six and approaching the leader. "So, Zavok... How about I introduce you and your group to a little pest."

"Is it an annoying blue hedgehog?" Zazz asked.

"No, but he'll probably be more interesting to face against. Chopper will give you a fight you've been seeking."

"Very well. Show us this Chopper then." Zavok insisted.

"If I'm correct, then Chopper is heading for a world named Meadoli," Camikon said. "It's in a whole different universe, so this should be interesting! Perhaps we'll-"

The sound of a door slamming open caught everyone's attention as they turned toward the direction of it. Stepping into the room was a familiar face that left Maquano with widened eyes.

"BRO!" Bob cried, opening his arms out as he approached his brother.

"NO!" Maquano screamed as his hands were place on the sides of his helmet.

"Well, looks like Bobby's back," Hades smirked. "Shall I get the popcorn again?"

"Aw, man, I missed you, Cany!" Bob cheered, giving his brother a hug. He was quickly met with a fist to his stomach, and although it made him heave, that smug grin on his face still remained. "You wouldn't believe what happened!"

"How...are you back?!" Maquano hissed.

"Some of your ugly minions gave me a ride back here. The moment I told them we were bros, they helped me out."

"Well, I might as well throw you out the window again."

"That won't do much. I'm still gonna come back. All the Tartaras know me enough to give me a hand!"

"Ugh, fine. You can stay...but don't. Touch. _Anything_." the Demon Knight warned, pointing a finger at his brother.

"Gotcha," Bob nodded, slowly hiding what appeared to be a mug in the back of his vest. Afterward, he turned his head to the six Zeti. "Who're these horny freaks?"

"They're Zeti, although they call themselves the Deadly Six. Pffffff. They're not so deadly when you realize they can't stand the sound from a conch. Then again, I'm comparing perfection to not being me."

"Huh... Man, are you guys ugly!"

"Ugly?! Who're you callin' ugly, punk?!" Zazz growled, getting up in his face and pointing a finger at him. "Just 'cause you've got the vest and bracelets doesn't mean you're cooler than us!"

Zazz's eyes quickly noticed Bob no longer in the same place and gawked. Then he looked behind him and saw the Shadow Demon standing in front of Zeena.

"Good thing I said guys, 'cause you're a different story!" Bob grinned excitedly. "The name's Bob, Maquano's younger, cooler, and handsomer brother."

"Oh, I guess someone has good taste in women," Zeena smirked, giving him a flirty look. "You can call me Zeena. Personally, I think you're pretty cute."

"Hot is more accurate!" the Shadow Demon boasted, flexing his nonexistent muscles on his biceps. To the side, Maquano had smacked his forehead and shook his head. "And I'm glad you've got good taste in men. How's about we get to know each other a little bit more?"

"Sure thing," the green Zeti cooed.

"All you need to know is that I know how to pick up the chicks here, unlike my bro! Can you believe that he had to make a son on his own? I mean, he can't even get a woman to love him! Probably 'cause he's too ugly, unlike yours truly. No wonder he wears a helmet all the ti-"

A hand had suddenly grabbed a hold of his neck, and soon enough, he was pulled over to face Maquano.

"For your information, I created him of my own choice," Maquano stated with narrowed eyes. "Plus, I have no interest in women."

"Ohhhhhh... So that means you're-"

A fist had soon met Bob's face a second later.

"I have no interest in romance," Maquano stated bluntly, dropping Bob on the floor. "...Well, there is one thing I love, and that's chaos and destruction."

Bob was quick to get up and zip over to Zeena. "Anyway... How's about I hang out with you for now? I can give you a ride on my motorcycle if you want!"

"Oh, really?" Zeena smirked, leaning closer to Bob. "Why don't you show it to me, Demon Boy?"

"Sure thing, Green Hottie! I just need to get some protection and we can go safely!" Bob turned to Maquano.

"Dad, what are they talking about?" Bowser Jr. asked, turning to his father.

"To be honest, Jr... I have no idea..." Bowser replied, scratching his head with one finger. In fact, the rest of the villains were looking in bewilderment.

"If only I was the only one who knew..." Hades trailed.

"Hey, Cany," Bob started, turning his head to Maquano. "You know where my helmet is?"

"No, and I don't care," Maquano stated bluntly.

"Oh, crud... Eh, never mind. Who needs a helmet anyway? Nothing's gonna go wrong when I'm with her!"

"Hey, we're not havin' this punk hang with us!" Zazz growled. "He called me ugly!"

"Can I eat him?" Zomom asked.

"Hold on now, youngsters," Zik stepped in. "There's nothing wrong with having a little company. Besides, he _is_ that knight's brother."

"Ah, I understand now, Master," Zavok grinned sinisterly. "This... _thing_ can stay around if he wishes... But he is _your_ responsibility, Zeena."

"Oh, joy... Another to interfere with my misery..." Zor remarked, looking away from the rest on them.

"I have no problem with that," Zeena smirked, placing a finger underneath Bob's chin. His eyes turned into pink hearts, while his purple tongue hung out of his mouth like a dog. "So, where's this motorcycle you wanted to show me?"

Before Bob could answer, Maquano had pulled him back.

"Now is not the time for this nonsense," Maquano stated. "Zeti, you're coming with me. We can't waste our time here when Chopper is out there going after the Silver Stars!"

"You're going out? Can I come?" Bob asked.

"No," the Demon Knight retorted, effortlessly tossing Bob toward the wall to his left.

"And I shall accompany you!" Camikon added, flying over to his leader. "Also, Lord Maquano... I spoke to our Tartara Engineers, and they're coming up with some new robots."

"Really? And what are they?"

"They didn't give me all the details, but all I know is that it's supposed to be really good."

"Hmph... Well, I'll be patient. For now, allow me to take you to our next destination, Zeti."

"Finally! Some action!" Zazz cackled.

"This better be worth our time, Demon Knight," Zavok mumbled.

"Well that's a disappointment... I'll see you later, cutie." Zeena said, flipping her hair before turning her head to the dazed Bob. She blew a kiss toward him before they all vanished from the room, leaving Bob and the other villains. At the same time, Bob had stood up, only to notice a certain someone missing.

"Huh? Hey, where's that hot green chick?" Bob questioned. "I wanted to show her the entire city and my buds!"

"I guess she's gone. Too bad." Hades said, his bucket of popcorn disappearing. "And just when it was getting entertaining..."

"So what now? We just sit here and do nothing?" Bowser wondered, crossing his arms on his chair. "Well this stinks! Where's the world-conquering?! I wanna get into action now!"

"Well, Bowser... We'd need to come up with a plan first." Eggman informed. He hit Orbot in the head, who then followed up by hitting Cubot's head. The cube-headed robot's eyes showed off a projection of Eggman's base, which revealed many different types of robots. "You see, I was thinking we'd get to understand our enemy better. That way, we can come up with something that'll-"

"Blah blah blah," King Dedede yapped, jumping out of his chair. "I'm not gonna sit down here and wait any longer! I'm gonna find that Chopper and clobber him myself!"

"But Your Majesty!" Escargon cried, running over to him. "Maybe we should stay here and listen to what Dr. Eggman has to-"

 _ **POW!**_

A lump had formed on Escargon's head while King Dedede lowered his hammer.

"I don't care about any of that nonsense! Maquano can do what he wants, while I can do what I want! And right now, I'm going to go golfing where Chopper is!"

"Is it OK if I go with you?" Bandana Waddle Dee asked.

"Yeah, sure. Just don't get in my way. Same with you, Escargon. You're coming with me!" King Dedede said as he picked him up by the eyestalk. It wasn't long until the three had teleported out of the room.

"Well I'm certainly not going to sit here and wait either," Hades said, standing up from his chair. "I think I'll have a little fun myself."

Ridley turned to the God of the Underworld and let out a small roar.

"Oh, don't worry. I don't plan on killing Choppy. The real question is if my friend will do so."

"Friend?" Bowser raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, Hewy! This is your precious God of the Underworld here!" Hades called out. "Can you hear me?"

" _Hades? Is that you?"_

" _Huh? Hades is talking to us?"_

" _Of course, numbskull!"_

"Hewy, I hope you don't mind me taking you out somewhere. Maybe you'll earn yourself a little snack!"

" _Ooh! A snack!"_

"Who is this weirdo talking to?" Bowser whispered to Ridley, who shrugged in response.

"I'll be there to pick you up soon. See you in about a minute!" Hades grinned, soon teleporting out of the room.

Ridley let out a small roar that sounded like it was a question.

"It's all right, Ridley. We'll just continue without them." Eggman assured. "Now, let me get back to my-"

The sound of snoring caused Eggman to cease talking and look at the remaining villains. All of them had their eyes closed and were laying their heads on the table. Even Bob was sleeping on the wall!

Eggman let out a sigh as he placed his hand on his forehead. "So much for my plan..."

* * *

"So, Lord Crump... You've finally made your return." Grodus spoke coldly, staring down at the soot-covered X-Naut commander in his room. "Did you find the Silver Star on Ava?"

"Well... Errr..." Lord Crump stammered, twiddling with his fingers nervously. "Sorry, Grodus, but someone came out of nowhere and destroyed my awesome machine!"

"Hmmmm? Now this is a surprise... But still, the fact that you couldn't get that Silver Star disappoints me, Lord Crump. You're more competent than that."

"But this kid was tough. Really tough. I mean, he was able to catch up to me easily. But the weird thing is...he had a Silver Star on him."

Now this had grabbed Grodus's attention as he leaned forward. "A Silver Star?! Speak, Lord Crump! Who is this person who attacked you?!"

"Uhhhh..." Lord Crump pondered. "I think he called himself Chopper. He had these other two friends with him too, and they were pretty tough..."

"Chopper..." Grodus repeated, tightening his grip on his scepter. "I'll have my X-Nauts look more into this person. If he really has a Silver Star, then he must be going after them as well. Great... And here I thought we wouldn't have to compete for those things."

"Bummer."

"But there's something else I want to ask you, Lord Crump..." Grodus began, turning his attention to the three figures behind him. "Who are _they_?"

"Them?" Lord Crump turned his head to stare at the Shadow Sirens. "Oh, they're-"

"Allow us to speak up," Beldam stepped in. "We are a group called the Shadow Sirens, and we've come here to assist you."

"Assist me? I don't need such a thing." Grodus scoffed, turning away from the trio. "The X-Nauts are all I need to find the Silver Stars."

"Oh, but we're not talking about the Silver Stars. But I can assure you that it is something that will benefit you and your entire army!"

"Like?"

"Well, for starters, we can at least show you a photo of that Chopper your inferior was talking about," Beldam grinned, pulling out the photo. Grodus immediately turned around and approached her. Taking the photo off her hands, the X-Naut leader began to inspect the image of this antennaed hero.

"This is the one that brought your machine down, Lord Crump?" Grodus questioned in a surprised tone. "Disturbing. This Chopper character... What kind of..."

"He had laid a beating on us as well, so it would be smart not to underestimate him..."

"I will keep that in mind... But what is it that you wanted to offer me?"

"Well..." Beldam approached Grodus and started to whisper, just so no one else could hear it. But one thing for certain, Grodus was already grinning.

"Now that's interesting..." Grodus chuckled. "Just think of what I can do with that! ...But why should I consider doing this?"

"You don't have to agree, but doing this would give you the chance to outmatch anyone else going after those Silver Stars! Not even Chopper would be able to compete against you! ...However, there is a catch."

"And what is the catch?"

"We suggest that you do not destroy Chopper or any of his two friends. Take them out of the picture, and the plan will never go into action. You'd best capture them instead."

"...Fine. But if you're going to assist me, then you must do _exactly_ as I say when you're needed." Grodus informed, aiming his scepter at Beldam. "Because if you defy me, then the deal is off, and the X-Nauts _will_ track you down through any means."

"But of course! A deal like this cannot be broken!" Beldam grinned. "Call us whenever you require our assistance!"

When Beldam stepped away from Grodus, she returned to her sisters, who followed her back into the shadows.

"Chopper, huh?" Grodus mumbled, looking down at the photo. But before he could say anything, the door opened, and two X-Nauts stepped in. One of them was a familiar face, while the other X-Naut's uniform was blue instead of red. It was sporting a white lab coat as well.

"Johnson reporting, sir!" Johnson exclaimed, giving Grodus a salute. The other X-Naut had given him a salute too.

"X-Naut PhD... Johnson... Have you gathered any information on the whereabouts of a Silver Star?"

"Unfortunately not, sir," Johnson replied. "We've searched throughout the multiverse, but we were unsuccessful in finding a Silver Star."

"There should be one out there... You're not looking close enough." Grodus said coldly. "...However, there is one thing you can do for me, Johnson."

The X-Naut leader tossed the photo, which began to slowly descend into Johnson's hands. He looked at it for a moment before looking at Grodus.

"Sir... What's this?"

"Apparently there's a pest out there called Chopper. I was given a photo of him, and I want you and the others to do some research on him. One thing that we know is that he holds a Silver Star!"

"We understand, sir!" the X-Naut PhD nodded. "We will search more thoroughly for a Silver Star. ...And we'll do our research on this Chopper!"

"Good. Don't take too long."

"Research takes time sir, but we'll try not to slow down," Johnson informed, he and the X-Naut PhD giving him a salute before finally leaving.

"What about me, Grodus?" Lord Crump spoke up. "I wanna get back at Chopper for destroying my machine!"

"After your incompetence? That would be a waste of time. Rest for now, Lord Crump. When you're needed, you better be ready to get Chopper and that Silver Star he carries!"

"Gotcha. I better get outta here."

Once Lord Crump was out of the room, Grodus turned away from the door and narrowed his eyes angrily.

"Chopper... You may have bested my X-Naut army for now... But now you're our number one target! The X-Nauts will show no mercy!"

* * *

 **This was probably the funniest thing I've written in a while. I'm actually kind of surprised that I wrote this too.**

 **With that aside, the next chapter is actually the last one I have written at this point. I think it's an important chapter, because after all, we never get to know what species Chopper really is...until next chapter.**


	17. Multiversal Chaos

Chapter 17: Multiversal Chaos

"Hmmmmm... It should be around here somewhere..." Ninjaster trailed, eyeing the sand carefully. He pulled out a map to get a better look at it, and underneath his mask, his lips curved up. "Heh heh heh... Excellent! This should be worth a lot for the Kataknifes!"

"The Kataknifes? Ha! As if!"

Ninjaster looked up and spotted Mastief a few feet away. Both eyes narrowed at each other as they immediately drew their weapons.

"Well well well... If it isn't the leader of the Thiebers, Mastief..." Ninjaster spoke. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah..." Mastief nodded. "Don't think I forgot about what you did!"

"What? You mean when I once robbed you behind your back? That's funny... Don't you and your clan go around stealing from others?"

"Don't you go around intimidating others? That's our job."

"Like we care what you think. Besides, I have no interest in dealing with you. I have some treasure to be collecting."

"Why do you think I'm here in the first place?" Mastief questioned.

"Hmph... Then I guess we're going to have to fight for it? Fine by me." Ninjaster smirked, signaling his opponent to come over. "Bring it on!"

Both had sprung forward and swung their blades. Many sparks were flying, and blades clashed with each other. Eventually the two got close up and were pushing each other back.

"The Kataknifes will never be humiliated by others," Ninjaster spat.

"The Thiebers will never get something stolen from us," Mastief countered.

While the two were glaring at each other, a shadow suddenly caught their attention. Their eyes shifted to what was above, and they were quick to flinch at the plummeting figure.

However, they didn't have time to question what it was, as the figure had fallen on top of them and knocked the two unconscious.

Chopper was quick to push his head out of the sand and land on his two feet, paying no attention to the two clan leaders. He looked up for a moment and then down at the sand. A sigh of relief came out of his mouth as he held out the inanimate Silver Star.

"Whew! I'm free, and you're safe!" Chopper smiled. As he looked at the star, his happy look became one of confusion. "Ummmmm... How do you turn back to normal?"

Suddenly, the Silver Star flew out of Chopper's hands and started to not only increase in size, but become brighter. With one flash, Chopper spotted a Silver Star that appeared more animate, much like Silvera and Silveader.

"Whew... I'm finally back to normal!" Silvia sighed in relief, twirling around for a few seconds. When she finally noticed Chopper, her twirling came to a halt as she flew up to him. "You! You're...a Stareing! But... I thought they were wiped out?"

"A Stareing? But I'm Chopper..." Chopper trailed.

"...Oh, right! There is a Stareing left, and his name is Chopper! ...Wait a minute, you're him, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm Chopper!"

"Well, it's a good thing a Stareing managed to save me. I mean, the things they can do with Star Energy is pretty neat! Anyway, my name is Silvia, one of the Silver Stars." Silvia introduced. "Thank you SO much for getting me out of there. If I had been in that dragon's mouth any longer..."

"SILVIA!"

Silvia immediately brought her sights above her. There, she spotted Flyer, Berry, and Silvera dropping right in front of them. Unlike Chopper, their landing didn't involve their heads getting stuck in the sand.

"Silvera! You're all right!" Silvia cheered, flying over to the other Silver Star. "How have you been?"

"Uhhhh... All right?" Silvera replied with uncertainty in her voice. "I mean, I WAS eaten by a dragon for a few seconds."

"A few seconds? Try several hours! It's not fun in there, that's for sure... But I did find this."

The Silver Star pulled out what appeared to be a treasure chest and let it drop onto the floor. Everyone raised eyebrows, but it was Berry that approached the chest first.

"Is this...the sacred treasure?" Berry wondered, opening the object. At first, a hopeful look was on her face, but the moment she saw the treasure, she froze. "Wait... It's just a pebble?"

"A pebble? Well... That's an interesting twist." Flyer remarked, using his Ray Scanner to identify it. "And it's just an ordinary one to boot! Why Saderta would keep something like this hidden is something I'd like to know."

"Maybe he really liked it?" Chopper wondered.

"Well, there really isn't any point in keeping this," Berry stated, dropping the chest onto the sand. "Man... I can't believe the rest of the Scarvanas were wiped out just for some pebble."

"Are you mad about that?"

"Honestly, not really... I kinda moved on from the sacred treasure. I suppose we should go back to Saninja Town. There's no point in being here anymore."

Agreeing, they all started to make their way back, being completely unaware of the two dazed clan leaders.

* * *

Returning to Saninja Town was thankfully not too difficult for them. Getting back through the gate, however, was a different story. A few Saninjas that were guarding said gate raised their eyebrows when they spotted Chopper, Flyer, Berry, and the two Silver Stars come in.

"What the..." one of the Saninjas gawked. "Where did they come from?"

"I don't know why, but two of them look familiar... I don't know what's up with the pink one, though... Same with those two sparkling stars..."

Eventually the group stopped in front of the passage leading to Berry's house.

"Well... I guess this is it." Chopper said, turning to Berry.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Berry questioned, blinking in surprise.

"We have to get going. There's other Silver Stars we gotta go save! Since we got the one here... Well, you know."

"So there's a lot more out there? ...Why don't I come with you?"

"Huh? Why?" Chopper asked.

"Because there's so much more to explore apparently. I've been living in this desert for so long that it's all I've seen. If you're going to other worlds... Then I want to go see them too! Besides..." Berry stepped closer to Chopper with a smile. "I wouldn't mind hanging with you more, Choppy!"

"Uhhhh... I think I'm ready to run now..."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to have her come with us," Flyer said. "After all, she did assist us very well."

"Oh... Yeah, she did!" Chopper nodded in agreement. "I guess she can come with us... Just don't give me cooties or anything..."

"Thank you so much!" Berry cheered, giving Chopper another hug, much to his discomfort. Thankfully, she let him go a few seconds later and drew her hammer. "Come on! I'm ready to see what lies outside of Ava!"

"All right! Silvera, why don't we create a portal that can take us straight back to Silvania?" Silvia suggested.

"Good idea," Silvera nodded, flying over to her friend. Their bodies began to glow white a few seconds later, and when the entire fired out of them, a star-shaped portal revealing Silvania was before them.

Chopper turned to Flyer and Berry, and after exchanging nods, the three leaped into the portal.

* * *

As he came out of the portal, Chopper managed to land safely on his two feet. He smiled at the suddenly realization, but then something suddenly knocked him onto the ground. Berry gasped when she realized she fell on him and quickly helped the pale green boy up.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall on you!" Berry cried.

"It didn't really hurt..." Chopper trailed. "I mean, I got to land on my two feet this time!"

"Now's not the time to be thinking about that," Silvera cut in. "We need to head back to the Silver Star Sanctuary so we can find the next Silver Star!"

"Yes, we should be doing that," Silvia agreed. "Follow us, young Stareing."

Once the two Silver Stars had flown away, Flyer and Berry looked at Chopper in bewilderment.

"Did she just call you a Stareing?" Flyer questioned.

"Yeah... But I don't know what that means..." Chopper pondered. "She said something about me being the last of these Stareings..."

"Hmmmmmm... Perhaps...that's what the name of your species is!" the Wingel deduced. "I mean, I'm a Wingel, and you're a Stareing!"

"But I'm a Stareing too..." Berry added. "So... That star was wrong when she said Choppy was the last one."

"Chopper, maybe we should ask them about the Stareings. They should know a lot about your kind."

"OK," Chopper nodded, racing forward. However, once he stepped out of the sand portion of the landscape, he came to a halt when he spotted Silvera and Silvia a few feet away from him. "Huh? What're you two doing here?"

"See for yourself," Silvera answered, pointing at many figures before them. Many of them appeared to be enemies such as Darklings, Slash Knights, Wizzams, and Diamos. Even some Tartaras and Monoeyes were roaming this area!

"Huh? Where did they come from?"

"We have no idea..." Silvia answered in a worried tone. "However they got here... It's not good for this world. Silveader might have an idea... Let's hurry over to him without dealing with these enemies."

"Hey, Chopper, why did you suddenly sto-" Flyer stopped himself when he too got a view of the enemies roaming around. "Wait... What's going on here?"

"I'm guessing this isn't what this world is normally like," Berry guessed, viewing the roaming enemies.

"No... Definitely not." Silvia replied. "Look, Silvera and I are going straight for the sanctuary. If you want to head to Star Town, feel free to. But when you're done, you must _immediately_ come to the sanctuary."

The three nodded in agreement before the two Silver Stars flew off.

"Let's show Berry what Star Town looks like!" Chopper suggested.

"It doesn't hurt to go there," Flyer agreed. "I would like to see how my plane is doing..."

With that, the two hurried over to Star Town. They would make it there thirty seconds later, and surprisingly, the enemies didn't appear to be roaming around town. Sure, they were outside, but inside was a different story.

But Chopper didn't seem too bothered by this a bit. He first headed to Starchant's shop, where he purchased a Water Star that he decided he'd save later. Next, he headed over to Starade's house. Surprisingly, a trash can was right in front of the building, and it appeared to be shaking.

"Huh? What's up with that?" Chopper questioned. "Is there something in there?"

"Well, we might as well see," Berry said, drawing her hammer. With it gripped with two hands, she swung at the trash, causing it to vibrate while toppling over. Starade had bounced out in a fetal position while vibrating. "Oh... I guess there was someone in there."

"Hey! What gives you the idea to knock me out of my garbage can?! Can't you see I was busy scaveng-" Starade paused for a moment when she took notice of Chopper. All of the sudden, she was up on her feet before zipping over to him. "Oh, wait, it's you! You're...Cheaper?"

"No... My name's Chopper..." Chopper replied.

"Oh... Right! I'm so glad you returned, Chopper! So... DoyouhavemoreStarMedals?!"

"Well, I have Star Medals on me!"

Starade bit her lip in excitement, but when she noticed the confused looks on the others, she reverted back to a calm expression. "Errr... Well, I found another Attack Scroll! However, it's going to cost you five medals for this one."

"OK!" Chopper smiled, tossing five Star Medals to Starade. She immediately cupped her hands to let them fall in. Starade found himself chuckling giddily, but eventually regained her composure before anyone could comment.

"Right... Forgive my...episode. You may have my Attack Scroll." Starade declared, tossing the scroll to Chopper. He looked at it, and after looking at the pictures, he smiled while nodding.

"Flyer! We can do this!" Chopper announced, and after showing the scroll, Flyer nodded and grabbed Chopper. He flew several feet in the air, and eventually he dropped Chopper so he could deliver a powerful Super Stomp. Unlike before, however, a shockwave had been made as a result. Soon Flyer came down next, firing like a missile. "That was cool!"

"Yes, the High Drop does seem to be a useful Team Attack, especially with the shockwave it makes," Flyer remarked as he landed.

 _ **Team Attack: High Drop**_

 _ **Fly high into the sky and drop down to deal massive damage to an enemy! So long as Flyer has enough stamina to pull it off, enemies shall beware!**_

"Wait, I can't help out with that Team Attack? Awww..." Berry pouted.

"It's OK. That hammer attack we did together is really strong." Chopper assured. "Anyway... Maybe we should show you that one wizard!"

"You mean Merlon?" Flyer corrected.

"Yeah."

"Let's go check my plane first."

Chopper nodded and made a run for Starench and Starix's workshop. However, when he entered the building, neither appeared to be there. But he did hear some noise coming from the garage, so that was where they took a look.

"Hi, guys," Flyer greeted, flying over to the two Stanar engineers. His plane was in the center of the room, while several different tool surrounded them. "How is my plane going?"

"Uhhhh... Everything's going fine." Starix assured, who was lying on her back and working on the propeller. "This is going to take some time to work on, Flyer..."

"Oh... Sorry if I'm bugging you."

"Don't be. Heck, we'd be done sooner if Dad didn't find that screwdriver later."

"Now, Starix, it wasn't my fault that it went missing," Starench said, who was busy with one of the wings. "You were the one responsible for it."

"Hey, we were on a lunch break, OK? I kind of forgot that I put it on my plate while throwing out the trash. It also didn't help that that freaky Starade was rummaging through our trash like some kind of scavenger. Eeugh..."

"She was in her own trash when we ran into her..." Berry recalled.

"Huh?" Starix's attention was drawn to Berry. "Are you another new friend of Chopper's? Neat! You can call me Starix!"

"My name's Berry. I'm Choppy's new girlfriend."

"Really? Well I can see why you'd two would work together."

"What does she mean by girlfriend?" Chopper whispered.

"I have no idea," Flyer shrugged.

"Starix, can you help me out here?" Starench asked. "There's something that must be done on the wings!"

"All right, Dad," Starix replied, standing up and wiping some of the dirt off her face. "I'd talk more, you guys... But, well, duty calls!"

"Right," Flyer nodded. "Let's go see Merlon."

The trio had left the two engineers to their business as they left the garage and headed for the blue house ahead. Berry had taken a look at the house, then she looked at the other buildings around.

"Wait... Why is this building so much different from the others?" Berry questioned.

"We kind of thought the same thing..." Flyer mentioned as they entered the house. At the moment, they spotted Merlon taking a look at a pale gray book. Tippi was standing on the book's upper right hand corner to take a look too. But when they heard the sound of people entering his house, Merlon turned his head to face the three.

"Ah, Chopper and Flyer! You've returned from your journey!" Merlon said happily, putting the book down and standing up from his chair. Before he could speak again, his eyes took notice of Berry. "And who is this young lady you have with you?"

"My name's Berry," Berry greeted. "I'm a Scarvana from Ava. ...And I'm Choppy's girlfriend too!"

"Oh, really? Congratulations, you two!" the Shaman applauded, but Chopper was looking back at the two with confusion. "Anyway... How was your trip to the next Silver Star?"

"It was actually very successful," Flyer answered. "Berry did a good job assisting us in finding the Silver Star. If I'm correct, that makes three that have been saved."

"Indeed. Unfortunately, things have not gone well here in Silvania... I don't know all the details, but I had to use my ancestor's magic to repel any evil that dared to come into Star Town."

"Oh, so that's why none of them are in here..." Chopper trailed. "Well... I'll be sure to beat them up if they get in my way! Same with any that are in the next world!"

"I'm guessing this isn't anything new for you..." Tippi commented.

"Not really. I've fought bad guys for six years, I think..."

"Hold on a moment," Merlon looked over at Tippi. "Tippi... Perhaps you can assist Chopper?"

"Wait... Huh?" Tippi gawked.

"You haven't gotten a chance to explore outside of Silvania, and you were always curious about what lied outside. Maybe going with Chopper would be the perfect opportunity to see more throughout the multiverse."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Merlon assured. "And don't think you won't be of any use either! You do have the power to detect things that no one else could! I'm sure it would come in handy for them!"

"Well... I guess it wouldn't hurt..." Tippi trailed, fluttering over to Chopper. "That is, if you're all right with it."

"It doesn't bug me that much," Chopper replied with a blink. "But... I can be pretty fast."

"Do not worry about that," Merlon stated. "Tippi should have no problem keeping up with you."

"OK, you can come with us to that place the Silver Stars are at, Tippi."

"All right..." Tippi replied, resting herself on Chopper's head. "I guess we're off..."

"I do suggest you keep her in one piece, Chopper," Merlon suggested. "We wouldn't want the poor girl in pieces..."

"If anyone tries to hurt her, I'll use any of my abilities to bring them down!" Chopper declared. "...Anyway, bye!"

Once they left Merlon's house, the group, with their new companion, Tippi, made their exit from town and started heading toward the Silver Star Sanctuary. Along the way, a few enemies tried to get in their way. To prevent himself from slowing down, Chopper knocked them away with his Star Dash.

While running, Chopper's sights took notice of the temple that they were approaching.

"Hey... It's that temple again!" Chopper announced. "Maybe we should take a look in there!"

"Chopper... I think it would be better if you headed straight for the temple..." Tippi suggested.

"But..."

"Yeah, let's go talk to the Silver Stars first. Then we'll check out that temple." Flyer stated.

"OK..."

Chopper went full speed toward the Silver Star Sanctuary. Unfortunately, he wasn't well-prepared enough to come to a stop when inside. The moment he started braking, he slipped backwards and started sliding along the floor. Unlike last time, he was sliding on his face. He eventually stopped in front of the Silver Stars floating in front of the Multiverse Pedestal. When he pushed his face off the floor and looked up, each Silver Star was staring at him in a bewildered manner.

"Ummmm... Hi!" Chopper greeted, right when the others entered the sanctuary.

"Did you seriously just slip again?" Silvera groaned. "You'd think someone learns from their mistakes..."

"Welcome back, Chopper and Co.. With Silvia back, it's safe to assume that your trip was successful?" Silveader asked.

"Yeah, we did it," Berry nodded.

"A new companion, I see? Well, it doesn't hurt to have others helping you out, Chopper. Anyway... We have other matters to speak about. Have you seen what's been happening outside?"

"Yeah. We found a lot of enemies roaming Silvania." Flyer noted. "Do you know why?"

"It seems that without us Silver Stars keeping the multiverse under control, portals have started opening to other universes. Some have even opened into Silvania!"

"Is there something we can do to stop them?" Berry asked.

"Not at the moment, no. Only with the twenty of us will we be able to restore multiversal order and keep portals from opening up." Silveader explained. "I hate to put you under pressure... But we don't have a limited amount time at this point."

"Well... Then let's go find the next Silver Star!" Chopper declared.

"Right," the Silver Star leader turned to Silvia. "Silvia... Would you help them find the next Silver Star?"

"Of course," Silvia nodded, placing her hand on the Multiversal Pedestal. A hologram of a planet appeared before them, and suddenly it turned into white energy before firing out of the doorway. "There we go! The portal has been opened! If you want to know where it's located, look for the pathway with grass and windmills."

"OK... Thanks for that!" Chopper smiled, but before he could turn around, he blinked before looking back at the Silver Stars. "Hey... Did you say I was this Stareing thing?"

"Well... Yes. That is what your kind are called."

"Oh... I didn't know that's what I am... My mommy and daddy never told me that."

"To be fair, mine didn't either," Berry added.

"Two Stareings who never knew what they were? Disturbing..." Silveader remarked.

"How come you never told me?" Chopper asked.

"Well, for one, I thought you already knew that. Second, well, you never asked."

"Oh..."

"Well, what do you know about our kind?" Berry questioned.

"Oh, wait... There are two remaining? My bad..." Silvia apologized. "Anyway, the most important thing about you Stareings is that you have the power to absorb Star Energy. These can give you some certain power-ups, such as a shield, increased size temporarily, or even invincibility. Some have tried to research how this is possible...but no one was able to get anything out of it. Even making something that absorbs Star Energy was a giant failure."

"So... We're special?" Chopper asked.

"Well, species work in different ways. You could say your kind are special in one way compared to another."

"That makes a lot of sense," Flyer remarked. "We Wingels have a high intellect and can use our wings to use the wind to our advantage, like increased height or distance while flying."

"Right," Silvia nodded.

"Oh... Well, thanks for telling me what I am!" Chopper smiled. "Now I know at least one thing!"

"I suppose we should get going..." Tippi trailed.

"OK, fine..." Silvera sighed, flying over to Chopper and going back in him with a few sparkles. "Let's get to it."

After saying their goodbyes, the group left the sanctuary and started to go toward the pathway where they spotted some windmills and grass. Luckily for them, it wasn't that far from the Silver Star Sanctuary.

What was also near that area was the temple they passed by before.

"Hey, Silvera! We should check that place out!" Chopper suggested.

"Chopper... We need to go find the next Silver Star." Silvera reminded.

"But you said we could take a look!"

Silvera was about to reply, but she quickly remembered herself saying that she would and sighed in defeat. "OK, fine... But we're not staying there for that long, understood?"

Chopper nodded before dashing over to the temple's front entrance. Now that they were closer to it, they could get a look at the gray temple. The door didn't have any details to it, surprisingly. However, that didn't bother Chopper too much as he opened the door and got a look at the interior.

The temple's inside was not as big as the Silver Star Sanctuary, but it did have a staircase going up to a pedestal in the center. A few torches were on the walls, giving some kind of light to the interior.

"What interesting architecture..." Flyer remarked as the group stepped further into the room. They all walked up the stairs and took a look at the pedestal. It was shaped like a star, but it looked like it was made up of nothing but rock. "What do you think this place is about?"

" _Who dares defile our temple?!"_

The booming voice caught everyone off guard as they started looking all over the place. In fact, the voice itself was enough to make the room shake!

"Huh? Who's there?!" Chopper cried. "Where are you?!"

" _It does not matter who we are... There's no way you can see us."_ the voice stated.

"Hold on a second..." Tippi trailed, and suddenly, her body began to split into pieces, to Chopper's shock. Before he could question what was happening, a ray of light appeared before them and flashed at what was ahead. Everyone was in for a surprise when a statue with a star-shaped head, a star-shaped cape, and a muscular body was standing in front of them. "This must be what's here... Let me make it visible for you..."

With one flash, the statue became visible, while Tippi began to reform.

"Whoa... Was that what Merlon mentioned before?" Chopper gawked.

"Yes..." Tippi replied.

"Wait a moment..." Silvera began, flying out of Chopper to get a look at the statue. "I think the Silver Stars mentioned that this temple was a place they once stayed in. But when the sanctuary was made, we abandoned this place and went there. But this statue was definitely not here before..."

" _This Sacred Temple is now ours,"_ the statue stated. _"And we don't allow intruders inside."_

"But... We're trying to save every universe!" Chopper cried. "That's why we're finding Silver Stars!"

" _Silver Stars? I see... I guess we have no choice but to believe you with that Silver Star around. But still... We don't trust you a hundred percent."_

"Can you help us?"

" _Perhaps... We do know a few things that the Silver Stars don't."_

"So... You have something that can help us?" Berry asked.

" _Not at the moment. Maybe later we'll have something for you. In the meantime... Identify who you are."_

"Well... I'm Chopper... Chopper the Stareing...from Clara!" Chopper declared.

"I'm Flyer the Wingel from Elsa," Flyer answered.

"I'm Berry the Stareing from Ava!" Berry replied.

"I'm Tippi... All I know is that I'm some sort of Pixl..." Tippi trailed.

" _A Stareing..."_ the statue mumbled. _"Very well... Come back to us later. We should have something that might be of assistance."_

Chopper nodded before they finally exited the Sacred Temple. When the doors were shut, all everyone could express was confusion.

"Well... That was interesting..." Flyer remarked. "Such a strange temple..."

"Yeah... What was up with the statue?" Chopper wondered.

"So, you've met them?"

Chopper found himself caught off guard by the new voice. He looked around until his head turned to the left. There, he spotted a figure around his size in a gray cloak with a large hood. The sleeves had a purple trim to them, as did the hood's opening. The figure's face could not be seen through the hood, with the exception of glowing, purple eyes. This figure also had black gloves, while his round feet were black.

"What the..." Silvera gave the figure a glare. "Who the heck are you?"

"Easy now," the cloaked figure raised a hand in front of himself. "I'm not here to fight... Unlike the others around here, I prefer to be more...diplomatic."

"You didn't answer my question, though."

"My name? Well... I don't really have one, but I suppose you can call me Shade. I'm just a person that's wandering through many worlds. I must say... This land is very beautiful. Yes. Beautiful."

"Yeah, it is pretty cool," Chopper agreed. "My name's Chopper!"

"Chopper? Well, it's nice to meet you." Shade grinned. "So, I'm guessing you were able to see what was in there? Word has it that that statue used to be of an extinct species..."

"An extinct species? What kind?" Flyer asked.

"If I knew, I'd tell you."

"Oh... Well, we'd talk some more, but we need to get going." Silvera noted. "I mean, with all the enemies here, and all of the portals suddenly opening up... We can't risk wasting any more time."

"Enemies? Maybe I can help out." Shade pulled out what appeared to be a wand with a purple handle, two black spikes pointing outward, and a purple diamond-shaped jewel on the upper black portion of the wand. When he noticed a Darkling approaching, he aimed his wand, and a projectile of black and white fired out and disintegrated it. "See? I can handle myself no problem. You go take care of business... I will do what I can to clear some of these monsters away."

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Berry asked.

"Of course," Shade assured, and suddenly a green, forked tongue stuck out from his hood as it licked the wand. This managed to make Berry cringe. "You go after what you need, and I do what I can to keep the enemies busy. Everybody wins here!"

"Oh... OK, I guess you can do that." Chopper nodded before turning away. He looked back at Shade for a moment before waving. "Bye, Shade!"

Chopper and his friends left the Sacred Temple and made a run toward the path filled with colorful green grass and windmills. There wasn't anything too interesting around here, but they did come across a portal at the end of the path. There, they spotted an image of more grass and windmills.

"I don't know if we can trust Shade..." Flyer warned. "Something seemed so...off about him."

"He doesn't seem to be a bad guy..." Chopper trailed. "He's going to help us out!"

"True... But maybe I should've used my Ray Scanner on him just to be on the safe side."

"Maybe Flyer's right... But right now, I think we should check out this new world." Berry suggested. "It does look interesting!"

"OK..." Chopper nodded. "Are you ready, Tippi?"

"I suppose..." Tippi replied.

"All right, you guys know what to do, I think," Silvera said as he flew back into Chopper. Wasting no time, Chopper and his friends made a jump into the portal and to their next destination.

* * *

 **And now you know what Chopper's supposed to be. ...Oh, and Berry too. I thought of revealing it near the end, but I decided not to and just revealed it in a way that was nothing special. Their name's supposed to be a combination of "star" and "being", kind of like how Flyer's species is a combination of the word "wing" and "angel".**

 **Anyway, this is the last chapter I have written as of now, and I don't think I plan on continuing this story...in fanfiction form. As a comic, however... I'd LOVE to continue it in that manner. The only difference? Well, I don't plan on having characters like Eggman, Hades, or King Dedede. It'll just be only characters from Chopper's universe. That, and I plan to bring down the Silver Stars from twenty to ten, as I don't want to do another one of those twenty arc stories like some of my previous works.**

 **So... I hope you enjoyed this story, because maybe you'd like the comic version much more - whenever I get to that.**


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